Secret Garden
by The Pen Vs The Sword
Summary: Tails only wanted to grow the seed Cosmo left behind and bring her back. Now, he's to blame for Mobius being in ruins. Rated T for frightening horror imagery and violence.
1. Chapter 1: The Seed

**A/N:** We've had this idea in our minds for a while now. But it had to go through several changes before we thought it was acceptable enough to write. We credit a certain picture we saw for the inspiration—which we will link to anyone who wants it—as well as Stephen King's Pet Semetary and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

**Sword:** I'm a bit scared.

**Pen:** As you should be. None of your sickening, overly-romantic plot this time. Tails and all related Sonic characters belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and, unfortunately, myself, belong to the author. He asks that you please not use this without permission.

Please enjoy.

**Chapter 1- The Seed**

How does one lose a gaining pursuer? Tails figured the answer was to fly faster. But that brought him to another conundrum. How does one fly faster than the fastest thing alive?

The young fox dared to look over his shoulder. A blue hedgehog, slobbering and growling in the moonlight, was closing the gap between them. For the past twenty minutes, he had followed Tails nonstop, even when the fox flew higher to lose him for a moment or two.

Tails knocked over some garbage cans, but the hedgehog leapt over them easily. He searched the street, trying to find his friends or anyone he knew, someone he could help or who could help him. _Please let there be someone. There has to be someone_, he begged. Yet there was nobody apart from the shambling, mindless Mobians of the city, their empty lime eyes following him and slack jaws groaning, calling all of the city to Tails' presence.

Turning a corner into an alley, Tails was attacked from a dark crevice. A violet weasel with a cowboy hat jumped for him, opening its mouth wide. Tails kicked it away and it crashed into a fire escape. Then his pursuer caught him, tackling him in his back. They fell to the ground, tumbling and rolling over until Tails was pinned down.

"Sonic, no! It's me!" Tails pleaded. But the hedgehog's blank eyes were like everyone else's. A trail of mint-colored drool plopped onto Tails' nose as Sonic's jaw stretched wide, roaring. He punched Tails' head, beating on the top of it. Then he wrapped Tails in a chokehold and started to drag him toward the street, where a long, coiling, snake silhouette was rising up and facing them. "Help! No!" Tails fought and kicked Sonic's stomach, but the hedgehog held firm.

Suddenly, someone kicked Sonic hard in the side of his head. He sailed into a brick wall of a building. Shadow was standing above Tails, pistol in hand and a dead-set expression on his face. Like Tails, his black fur was ruffled and several cuts were scattered on his body and face. He aimed the pistol at Sonic.

"No, don't!" Tails said, standing up wobbly. He pushed Shadow's gun aside. "Don't shoot anyone. You'll kill them!"

"That is how guns usually work," Shadow said.

"But we'll lose them forever. I think I can fix this," Tails said.

Behind them, Sonic growled, baring his sharp teeth, and lunged for the pair. Shadow jumped and spun, delivering a kick to Sonic's cheek. The hedgehog soared down the alley and collided with an open dumpster, crashing inside it.

"We need to get somewhere safe," Shadow said. Tails bent over and put his hands on his knees. He was feeling very woozy and his vision split in two before coming back together. He gingerly touched his head and hissed when he hit a sore spot. "Are you going to be alright?" Shadow asked, his finger still on the pistol's trigger.

"Yeah, I'll be fine for now," Tails said. He picked out a dried, yellow glob from behind his ear. _Guess I still have some in my fur._ He straightened up and quelled his uneasy stomach. The snake shape was slithering toward them. Tails blinked hard and nodded at Shadow. "Lead the way."

Together, they exited the alley and ran down the street, avoiding any contact with the people. "Rouge should be around here," Shadow said as they neared the city park.

"She's here too?" Tails asked.

They ducked behind a building as a large mass of people passed by, shuffling along with no particular direction. "Yes," he said, his gun held ready. "We've been hearing reports of riots, destruction, and zombies. We came to find out what was going on." He glanced at Tails. "What _is_ going on?"

"They're not zombies, I can tell you that," Tails said as the group headed further away. "Not in the sense you're thinking of. These things don't kill so far as I've seen. They infect and control. And they're still very much alive."

There was a gunshot from down the road. "Rouge," Shadow muttered. They dashed toward the park. Beside a marble fountain, they found the white bat shooting warning shots at an enclosing circle of people around her and a young, cream-colored rabbit. The rabbit was hunched over, protectively guarding her head. "Rouge!" Shadow shouted.

"About time you showed up!" she yelled.

"Stop shooting!"

"Are you crazy?" She backhanded one dog who came too close. Her head whipped around when Cream cried out. The little girl had disappeared among the people. Shadow and Tails rushed in, pushing and punching the growling Mobians. In the center, Cream was on the ground with a person on top of her. Shadow knocked the man aside and helped Cream up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, checking her.

She sniffed and clutched her chest. "N-No," she said.

An earth-shaking tremor rocked the ground and knocked them off their feet. The fountain split in two, its stone crumbling apart, and the circular pool of water at the bottom opened wide for a deep pit. A tall green pod burst forth, enveloping what was left of the fountain into the folds of its pale bulbous base that ballooned and deflated in various spots. Attached to the pod were several of the snake-like creatures, covered in leaves and ending in little tips that opened up to make hissing sounds like someone inhaling sharply. Rows of yellow-green thorny teeth lined each of the snakes' inner tips.

Two of the snakes wrapped around Cream's legs and started to pull her to the pod. "Help!" she cried.

Tails leapt to her and grabbed her hands. He dug his feet into the dirt, struggling with the pod. He didn't see the cat come up behind him, sharp claws held high, until she slashed his scalp. Tails dropped one hand and covered his head. The cat raised her claws again, but Rouge punched her. Then she helped Tails pull Cream.

The pod continued to drag the girl to it. Its body opened wide, displaying a mass of ugly white innards and gooey secretions. Tears poured down Cream's cheeks. "Please, don't let me go!" she begged.

"We won't!" Tails assured her. He looked around for something, anything to help. He spotted a stone nearby and picked it up. Tails reached over Cream and bashed one of the snakes, squashing it between the stone and the ground. It trembled, as if in pain. With the opposing force lessened, Rouge let go with one hand and reached for her gun. She fired at the last snakes and it hissed, untangling from Cream and whipping back and forth.

"Cream, Cream. Are you okay?" Tails asked, helping her up.

She only sniffed and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you, thank you."

"Shadow!" Rouge called. He appeared from the crowd of Mobians. "We can't stay here!"

"You don't say." He shoved a badger into several others. "Let's get somewhere safe!"

Tails looked around. In the distance, the Sutherland Hospital rose above the trees. "Shadow! The hospital!"

"Alright, everyone run!" They took off, Shadow zipping between the people while Tails flew slightly overhead. Rouge and Cream rose higher into the sky.

"Hey, come back down!" Tails told them, narrowly missing someone grabbing his foot.

"Why?" Rouge asked. A large shadow passed overhead and they all looked up. A great flying creature in front of them circled around and aimed straight for Rouge and Cream. The girls zipped down just as the beast passed overhead. "What was that?"

"Later! Just get to the hospital!" Tails said.

Soon, they were at the hospital's entrance. The windows were darkened and it seemed to be nearly abandoned. They rushed through the front doors and ran into a handful of slavering doctors and nurses. While Shadow and Rouge quickly fought them off and threw them outside, Tails and Cream scavenged for anything to block the doors with. They turned up a soda machine and a couple of desks.

As Shadow knocked out and tossed the last of the doctors outside, Rouge and he helped Tails and Cream push the soda machine in front of the glass doors. They lifted the desks on top of it and then backed away from the entrance. "Let's hope it holds," Shadow muttered.

They waited for a couple of minutes for anyone to smash through the entrance, but nobody came. They breathed a little easier and turned to each other. "Okay, it's probably not a good idea to stay on the first floor. Let's go to the second. We'll have easier access to the roof and fewer exits to cover," Tails said.

"Unless one of those flying things comes in here," Rouge said. "What on Mobius was that thing?"

Shadow faced Tails. "I think we should ask him."

Tails eyed them all and nodded. "Okay. I'll tell you. This is all my fault."

"What did you do?" Shadow asked, growling low in his throat. "Why did we just have to take down everyone we know? Why is everyone out there after us?"

Cream was sniffling and latched onto Tails' shoulder. "Mama. Sh-She was taken and came after Cheese and m-me. Cheese saved me, but he —" She burst into tears and buried her face in his back.

Shadow lorded over Tails and glared at him. He was thankful the hedgehog flipped the pistol's safety on. "Start talking. We're gone two months and this whole place goes up in flames."

"Okay, but we should move away from the doors," Tails said. They started to walk down the hall, stopping by a security office. Shadow entered and searched for flashlights. "Did either of you find a Chaos Emerald on your journey?"

"Afraid not. Just another wild goose chase," Rouge said. Shadow came back and handed each of them a flashlight. He flipped his on and kept it close to the ground, mindful of any windows. There was loud groaning outside the building.

"That's a shame. We could really use it right now."

"How about you just tell us what we're dealing with?" Shadow said tersely. They checked the rooms one by one as they walked down the hall, giving each one a cursory shine of their flashlight.

"Okay, it started two months ago, after the Metarex incident," Tails said. "Remember that seed Sonic gave me? The one after Cosmo…" He trailed off and Cream patted his shoulder. He held her hand there and sighed deeply.

"Yes, we remember," Shadow said.

"I tried to grow it for two weeks, taking care of it as best as possible. Unfortunately, it refused to even sprout. I was getting more and more frustrated each day."

* * *

Tails frowned at the potted soil on the window sill. He poured another liberal helping of water onto it, willing the seed inside to poke through with even the tiniest stem. A stack of books sat to the side, all gardening tips that he had read cover to cover over the past two weeks. Not one had helped. There didn't seem to be anything covering alien derived seeds and what they needed to thrive either. Although, he hadn't expected such from the books, but wished there was something that would work.

Setting the water pot down, Tails flopped into a chair and gripped the armrests. Every day since Cosmo's death had been long and hard. He had done nothing except dwell on how he failed her, how he killed her. It had been a constant cycle of dread, where he feared going to sleep because he only had dreams of her death at his hand, but hated the day because he was awake and reminded that the dreams were true.

He barely ate or slept at all and refused his friends calling on him most days. Sonic and Amy had been over once or twice when he allowed them. Otherwise, he was isolated from everyone else.

Tails leaned forward and clasped his hands together. He pointed his fingers at the seed. "Please grow," he begged. He pretended Cosmo was inside, listening to him. Maybe she was waiting for the right time? But why leave her seed behind then so Sonic could entrust it to Tails? It made no sense.

Perhaps she was waiting inside for him. Perhaps some offspring of hers to carry on her name was destined to grow. Whatever the seed's fruit, Tails had vowed to grow it, as it was a part of Cosmo and she deserved that much. At the very least, he owed her that much.

By Sonic and Amy's observations when they visited, his care bordered on fanatical. He was only following the advice of the books: water daily, use good soil, talk to it or play soothing music, and give it plenty of sun. He also waited on pins and needles, watching the seed for hours, willing it to grow. He slept in the living room's sofa where he could see it and refused to leave the house unless absolutely necessary.

"That's not obsessive," he had argued with them. "This is an alien life form. Who knows what sort of attention it might need?" It was a chance for life and Tails would not be callous with it.

But today, he had to leave, as he was out of food and needed more fertilizer. Reluctantly, he stood and headed out the front door. He locked up his workshop and house, then started to fly toward town. Yet he lacked the energy and will to do so. Sitting around most days had really sapped his strength. After a few minutes, he landed and walked the rest of the way to town.

At the store, when he visited the gardening section, there were rows upon rows of healthy, lush plants growing big and tall. Tails looked over them and sighed before he grabbed some fertilizer. "Anything I can help you with, sir?" an employee nearby asked.

"No," Tails said. He stocked up on microwave dinners and ready-to-make food, paid, and left.

The sun was setting on his way home. He cut through the suburbs, where many were coming home for the day. He passed an old badger in one yard, raking up leaves and wearing some beige gloves. "Evening," the badger greeted. "Doing a little gardening?" He pointed at the fertilizer poking out of Tails' grocery bags.

"Yes," Tails said, slowing down. "Can't seem to get it to grow." He didn't know why he was telling this man what was wrong. Maybe he thought he was wise and experienced in all kinds of agriculture. His house did have a beautiful selection of flowers in front of it and as he examined the badger closer, he noticed his gloves were gardening gloves.

"Ah, that can be difficult," the badger said. "I'd recommend changing the soil. Could be bad."

"I already have," Tails said. In fact, he had changed the soil yesterday.

"Could be a bad seed then. Might have to start with a fresh one."

Tails shook his head. "Can't do that."

The badger shrugged and continued raking. "Well good luck with that, son. You'll need it, I know. Always had a blasted time with seeds like that." Tails shifted his grocery bags, tightening his grip on them. "Only ever knew one kind of soil that did the trick."

"Really? What kind of is that?"

The gardener stopped his raking and shook his head. "Ah, me and my big mouth. Wife always did say I talk too much. It's not important, son. You just run on home and tend to your seed. Get that fertilizer on it quick."

Tails came closer. "Please, tell me where I can find this soil."

The badger appeared to be worried and mopped his brow with a handkerchief. "Listen, it's best you forget about what I said. You don't want nothing to do with it."

"Yes, I do," Tails said. He set down his bags. "Tell me."

"No, you don't. That soil is cursed!" The badger slung his rake over his shoulder and headed toward his house, leaving behind a half-finished pile of leaves.

"Wait, cursed?" Tails stumbled and caught up to him, walking backwards in front of the badger. "But you said it could grow seeds."

"That it will. It'll grow any seed. But the plants that grow there are corrupt and twisted. I'd dare say evil."

"Evil or not, I have to know." Tails dropped to his knees, blocking the badger's path. "Please, I need to do this for someone. Please."

The gardener's face softened and he patted Tails' shoulder. "This person must mean a lot to you, huh?" When Tails nodded, he leaned closer. "Then take my advice: leave it alone. It's not worth it."

* * *

Rouge quietly opened a patient room door on the second floor and checked inside. "All clear," she said. They crept in and she set to work looking for bandages. When she found a roll and some alcohol swabs, she helped Tails into a chair and placed the flashlight between her teeth. She started to clean his head.

"So what happened?" Shadow asked.

Tails sucked in air as Rouge dabbed his head. "You're lucky it's not worse," she said. "It's pretty deep as it is."

He grumbled and faced Shadow. "He refused to tell me where I could get the soil. I returned the day after and the day after that, but he wouldn't budge. I did some digging on the guy, asking his neighbors who he was, and found out he used to be a gardener for some rich family, who owned a mansion years and years ago where the forest is now, back when it wasn't as large. According to the newspapers in the library, something happened to the mansion and there were claims that people were seriously injured or worse. It was a little unclear and there seemed to be stories missing, but they quoted the gardener, who said that a plot of the mansion's garden was cursed."

"And you decided to go looking for it," Shadow surmised.

"Yes," Tails said, nodding. Rouge held his head straight.

"Anything to bring Cosmo back, no matter the consequences."

"I didn't know. I thought he was just some superstitious old man."

"What happened next?" Cream asked.

* * *

_Snap!_ Tails whipped his head around. Was someone following him? He peered through the dense foliage all around and sighed. _It's alright. You're alone._ The wild ravings he had read in those newspapers were making him jumpy. The testimonies of others and that badger, so convinced in his interview of this place's evil, that Tails was starting to believe the curse too. He pressed on, following the map he had drawn up where the mansion should still be. He shouldered his backpack of supplies higher and hoped he was close.

The woods were thick and the trees stood tall, with low-hanging branches, as if crossing their arms and glowering at his intrusion. They stayed silent and allowed him passage. Tails maneuvered around thorns and knee-high brush until he saw a flash of white through a patch of branches. He hopped forward and ducked low under a fallen tree and arrived at the mansion.

Time had not been kind to the house. Its white paint was chipped and fading and several windows were broken as vines wormed their way in and out of the jagged holes. The forest seemed to be doing its best to swallow the house whole beneath branches, bushes, and moss.

The front door was nailed shut with wooden planks. So Tails circled around to the backyard, where rows upon rows of dirt were. Many of the plants overtaking the house, like trees and thorny bushes, appeared to originate there. Various flowers were scattered among them, but were being strangled by weeds.

Tails found a patch of dirt that was devoid of any other plants. He set down his backpack and dug out shears and hedge clippers. As he cut through stalks of leafy plants, he had a suspicion of some sort of anger directed at him. He looked up, meeting the menacing growth that bared its barbed teeth and dark, hateful eyes resting between masses of branches. Tails shrugged off the feeling. _I'm spooking myself. It's all my imagination. There's no curse._

When he finished clearing the area around the dirt, he took the seed's pot out of his backpack. He dug around in the soil and retrieved the seed. Tails studied it, brushing off the flecks of dirt. He could almost see Cosmo inside, waiting to be regrown. "Please work," he whispered. Then he grabbed a spade from his backpack and scooped out a nice hole in the ground. He dropped the seed in and covered it up.

After he watered the seed with a small water pot, he sat back on his knees and tapped his legs, waiting. Tails didn't know what to expect now. He had wondered if the seed might suddenly sprout, but as the minutes ticked by, that hope faded. Eventually, the sun started to set in the distance and Tails gathered his supplies. He was reluctant to leave though. The seed hadn't been out of his sight since he first received it.

_I could take some of the soil with me_, he thought. But if the seed was to grow, it couldn't be confined to a pot. He would need to find a large space for its roots to spread out eventually. This garden was as good as anywhere else.

So with a heavy, wishful heart, he left the seed for that night. He returned bright and early the next day and the day after that. For several days, he continued to come and tend to the seed, hoping for one tiny indication that the soil was working.

On the fifth day, Tails got his answer. As he approached the dirt, he saw a hint of green. He dropped his backpack and scrambled for the soil, falling flat on his stomach next to it. _It's growing. The seed's growing! It's really growing!_ Tails' insides exploded like joyful fireworks. The old badger had been right on one point. The soil was working its wonder on the seed.

For a few hours, Tails sat beside the seed, watering, talking, and tending to it. "This is unbelievable. I mean, from a scientist's perspective, I can see a species' entire life cycle." He leaned down and rested his chin in his hands. "But more importantly, we can see you again. I can see you again. We're all waiting for you to be with us. If that is you in there." He touched the tip of the stem, rubbing it with his thumb. "If it's not, then I promise you, Cosmo, I'll take care of whoever it is. I give you my word."

An troubling thought entered his mind. What if nothing came of this plant? What if instead of a new Seedrian, the final result was only a flower? Tails hoped that wasn't true, but the fear gripped his heart tightly when he looked at the stem. "Please, be in there." He closed his eyes. "Please, come back to me."

Tails soon had to leave. The worry stayed with him and he was frustrated that he wouldn't have his answer for several weeks. However, he figured he could wait that long for Cosmo. Even if it was a small chance she came back, it was still better than nothing. He shouldered his backpack and left the plant, trekking through the forest and heading for home.

The next morning, Tails was up bright and early like always. He grabbed his gardening supplies, slipped on his backpack, and took a cereal bar to eat on his way to the forest. He locked his front door and headed toward the edge of town. On the way, he passed by Amy's house and decided he should stop by on his way home. She and Sonic were concerned for him and he wanted to alleviate them. Sonic hadn't been seen for days though. Everyone assumed he was off on another adventure and would return shortly.

When he reached the garden, his jaw dropped and his heart rate quickened. Where the stem had been yesterday, there was a blooming flower that stretched a head above his height and spread itself wide with white, violet-tipped petals. It fanned at him in a cool breeze and Tails tossed his backpack on the ground. He ran to the flower and examined every inch of it.

_This can't be real_, he thought, running his fingers over the soft petals and the nearly black center. But they felt real and there was no sign of the little plant he saw less than a day ago. He ran a hand up the stalk and looked around. _How could this happen?_ Had someone tampered with his seed? Maybe his original plant had been stolen and the thief left behind this flower.

"Hello?" Tails called out. "Is anyone there?" He mentally smacked himself. _As if a thief would stick around here._ He turned back to the flower and rubbed a petal between his thumb and forefinger. If this was the seed, then that meant this was all there was to it. No life, no Seedrian. _No Cosmo._

Tails sighed and hung his head. All that work, all that care, and this was the result. His eyes welled up, but he squeezed them shut and held himself firm. The sensation soon passed enough so that he could look at the flower again. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his arm. He would take care of this flower, for Cosmo's sake.

"Tails?"

He froze. That voice, like a choir of angels on high to him. Soft, lithe, and saturated with the kind-heartedness of its owner. Tails knew who it was, but he did not dare believe it until he slowly, carefully turned around. Standing there, in all the glory and splendor he remembered of her was the girl of his dreams, with her green petal hair, white dress like an upside-down tulip, and shimmering sky blue eyes.

"Cosmo."

**A/N:** Whew. That was a difficult beginning.

**Sword:** I wonder what will happen. I hope it has a happy ending to it.

**Pen:** *chuckles darkly* Oh it'll have a happy ending. For me.

How about you two worry about finishing the rest of the story first? Hope all of you readers enjoyed it so far. Please, let us know what you think of it.


	2. Chapter 2: Tearful Reunion

**A/N:** So thank you to all the people who've been reviewing this so far. We did have to make a small alteration in the first chapter that Shadow and Rouge were gone for two months, not three. With that out of the way, on to chapter two.

**Sword:** I'm scared to continue.

**Pen:** Too bad. Let's go. Tails and all related material belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and I belong to the author.

**Sword:** Oh, I hope nothing bad happens. Please enjoy peoples while I go hide with my stuffed animals.

**Chapter 2- Tearful Reunion**

There was an unearthly roar from outside, like shattering glass overlaid by a dying animal's cry. It shook Tails to his core. Before the group even looked out the window, he knew what it was.

The flying beast from earlier swooped by, emitting the awful sound. In the street down below, there was a gathering of Mobians. Several were restraining an unaffected hedgehog, who struggled and kicked at them. They were dragging their prisoner toward one of the pods on a street corner beside a lit-up hardware store. Shadow tried to prevent Cream from watching, but she struggled with him and pressed her face to the glass.

"What are they doing?" Rouge asked. The pod's snake vines shot out and wrapped around the hedgehog's limbs. The other Mobians released him as he was dragged screaming into the pod. Cream finally gave in to Shadow and hid her face against his stomach. He appeared startled and awkwardly held her shoulders as her little body quivered. When the hedgehog below was pulled inside and forced to stand straight up, the pod closed its shell.

"Turning him into one of them," Tails said. He alone knew of the horrors that the poor hedgehog was being subjected to in that pod. The silence as everyone waited and the fear of what was inside shook him.

He couldn't stomach watching the event, but one glare from Shadow kept him fixed to the window. A glare that seemed to demand he watch the fruit of his actions. Soon, the pod cracked open and dumped the hedgehog out onto the ground, caked in yellow and orange splotches. He rose to his feet and groaned. The group surrounding the pod dispersed and the hedgehog followed them while wiping off the gunk.

"Is he a z-zombie?" Cream asked, backing away from the window. She very jittery, her hands and lips trembling immensely.

"Not exactly," Tails said. "The pod infected him with spores. He's still very much alive, but the spores are controlling his nervous system. Whatever he sees or does now, the rest can see." He swept his hand over the Mobians below.

"And what will he do now?" Rouge asked.

"Search for others to bring to a pod," Tails said. "Until everyone on Mobius is turned."

"How do you know so much about these pods? Did you make them too?" Shadow asked, standing behind him.

"No! No, not at all!" Tails shook his head and pressed his back against the window. "But I studied them. And I was captured and put in one." Shadow reached for his pistol tucked in his quills. "No, I'm fine. I'm not affected. I escaped before I could be turned." _Before_ _most of the spores were implanted_, his mind reminded him.

"We can't know that. You could be one of them for all we know." Shadow's fingers wrapped around his pistol's grip.

"No, look, there's a few ways to tell." As they waited, he plucked another orange glob from his fur. "This would normally coat my whole body like the guy down there. I only had small pieces because I escaped only hours ago."

"That's hardly convincing," Shadow said. Rouge and Cream stood beside him, the former warily grabbing her pistol from her torn purple and black jumpsuit. Shadow didn't move to shoot. He held the gun as if planned for a last resort.

"Then there's the movement," Tails said, pointing at the street. "The infected lack fine motor coordination and certain actions. Sure, they can run, fight, and generally move well enough. But they shuffle instead of walk, slur speech or growl, drool all over the place, and are clumsy in anything requiring precision."

Rouge stopped before pulling out her pistol fully. Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Yes, one more thing. When these things are let off their leash a little and allowed to look normal, whether to infiltrate or for some other reason, they still have a little trouble with motor coordination. Not a great deal, but a tiny bit. And there's their eyes. When Sonic was infected," he shuddered when he remembered what his friend had been like, "Amy and I could see it in his eyes. This incredible sadness, as if he were warning us. Afraid to hurt us. It could be that when the people gain some freedom like that, they're given too much and try to warn others. A flaw within the infected's system."

Shadow exchanged glances with Rouge, then bent down, staring Tails straight in the eye. "Look, why would I tell you all this if I was infected? Tell you that I had been taken by one of those pods? I could say you've all been infected, too."

"Except we're not," Shadow said. He looked at Cream and Rouge. "I can tell."

"Just like you should be able to with me because of the signs. I'm still me. I'm trying to help all of you." Shadow narrowed his eyes, as if searching for any deception in his heart. The young fox gulped and felt a splitting headache coming on. When Shadow exhaled, which sounded like some frustrated growl, and straightened, Tails turned and pretended to look out the window. He gritted his teeth and willed his headache to die down. _Must've lost more blood than I thought._ He touched his head, checking for any wet spots, but found none.

"Very well," Shadow said, putting his gun away. "But we'll be watching. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Good idea. That's what we should do for everyone," Tails said, trying to keep the pain out of his voice. "The vines on those pods are silent and could take someone at any time. We'll all need to watch out for each other if we don't want to be taken." The headache finally lessened and he faced them again.

"How do we stop this thing?" Rouge asked.

"We have to strike the source of the infection. I think that will stop it. But getting past them will be a big problem," Tails said, jerking his head outside.

Shadow nodded, then rubbed his chin. "You said you escaped from the pod. The people down there wouldn't happen to be looking for you specifically, would they?"

Tails rubbed his neck. "I wouldn't doubt it. But I think right now, it's just anyone they can find while keeping an eye out for me. They'll probably target me when they see me, so that makes this especially difficult. As if most of the city turning didn't already."

"Why? What did you do to cause all this?" Cream asked.

"I-I," Tails tried, but shook, unable to continue. He slumped to the floor, leaning against a desk. "I didn't mean any of this."

"We don't have time for your babbling regrets," Shadow said, shoving his flashlight in Tails' face. "We know it has something to do with Cosmo. That much is clear. Just get to the point."

Rouge grabbed Shadow's shoulder. "Hey, we need all the information we can get. Might find something there to help us get past them. Besides," she thumbed the window, where the distant rays of sunlight were doing their morning stretch, their thin bodies reaching over the city, "we can't move now. We're too easy to spot. Best if we wait until night. In the meantime, let's listen."

Shadow grumbled and headed to the door, standing watch with his back to them. Rouge cut her eyes at him, but then nudged Tails. "What happened after you saw Cosmo?"

* * *

"Cosmo." He couldn't believe it. Was this a dream? Some trick of a delirious mind? But she walked to him until her feet were digging in the dirt. The earth molded to her weight and she was right in front of him. He raised his hand and she held it in her own. Her skin was so soft and smooth and, most importantly, very, very real.

Tails crumpled to his knees, never taking his eyes off her even as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Cosmo," he croaked. "You're here. You're here."

"Yes, Tails, I'm here." She smiled and knelt beside him. He leaned forward, burying his face in her shoulder. They wrapped their arms around one another and hugged tightly. "Thanks to you."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," Tails said. "How much we've all missed you."

"I think I know," she said, lifting him up. She smiled at him. "I've missed you just as much." Cosmo pecked his cheek and Tails' face burned up. "Thank you for not giving up."

He wiped his eyes. "I never would give up on you." He bowed his head and his arms slackened. "Can you ever forgive me for what I did? I never wanted to hurt you, much less ki-ki—"

She held a finger to his lips and shushed him. "Tails, you did what you had to do. I told you to, remember?" She laid her head on his shoulder and nuzzled his neck. "I've already forgiven you."

He nodded and sighed contentedly. "Thank you." They stayed in that position for what felt like wonderful hours to him until Tails finally stood up. He helped Cosmo to her feet. "We should go tell everyone you're back. They'll be thrilled to see you."

"Yes," she agreed. "I can't wait to see how everyone's been." They began to leave the forest, but Cosmo stopped at the edge of the clearing, looking over her shoulder. Tails followed her gaze to the flower.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, it's nothing," Cosmo said.

Tails stood beside her and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "Cosmo, you can tell me. What's bothering you?"

"I'm connected to the flower. It's a part of me," she said.

He cocked an eyebrow. "You mean it's keeping you alive?"

"In a way. It's tied to me and I to it," she said.

"And you're worried what could happen while we're gone," Tails said. She nodded slowly. "We could take it with us back to my workshop."

"No! Don't!" Cosmo gripped his arm hard, wringing it. He winced and pulled away. She was surprisingly strong given her lithe form. Cosmo's upset countenance softened and she gasped, seeming to realize what she did. "Oh, I'm sorry, Tails. I wasn't trying to—I didn't mean to hurt you."

He rubbed his arm, unsure what to make of her reaction. Tails took a step back, afraid of what she might do next. Cosmo had never been like that before, had she? There wasn't a single event he could recall when she acted that way.

Cosmo's downcast eyes looked at his arm and she dropped her head into her hand, covering one side of her face. "It's just, I'm afraid what will happen to it. Being tied to a flower is not something I've ever lived with before. I don't know what moving it could do." Before he could ponder the matter further, a couple of tears streamed down her cheeks. "A root could be cut or the entire stem could snap. And now I've hurt you because of it."

"Cosmo," he said softly. Tails opened his arms wide and she dashed into his embrace.

"I never want to hurt you again. I never want to leave you again and put you through that pain," she said, her voice muffled in his chest.

"I don't want to hurt you again either. I couldn't bare losing you a second time or putting you through all that." He stroked her hair, running his fingers along the petal tips. "I have another idea. We'll head back to my workshop after Amy's and I'll see if I can get something to keep the flower safe. Is that alright?"

Cosmo raised her head and pecked his chin. As he blushed, she giggled. "Yes, that's fine. Thank you."

Together, they left the forest and strolled toward the city. Tails intertwined his hand with hers and as they neared the city limits, his namesakes flicked behind Cosmo, moving to wrap around her waist. She noticed and pulled one of the tails closer so that it curved around her side. They grinned at one another as the other tail did the same.

Tails' heart swelled and he kept stealing glances at Cosmo. He couldn't believe she was here beside him. It was a perfect dream come true. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so ecstatic, so blissfully happy. Everything in the city, from the people leaving for work to the buildings and roads themselves glowed like their surfaces were strung with bright, electric show lights.

Neither talked, but Tails was fine with that. He was content to be in her presence. They had now and forever more to talk and resume where they left off. They finally reached Amy's house and he reluctantly disentangled his namesakes from her.

He reached for the doorbell and rang it. When Amy didn't answer, he tried knocking several times. The door still didn't open. "Guess she's not home," Tails said.

Cosmo sighed. "That's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing her again."

"I know." He squeezed her hand. "We can check back later. Let's head to my workshop and get something for your flower." They turned and left.

The pair soon reached his house and entered. Tails was a little surprised by Sonic lazing on his sofa, flipping through the television, his spare house key tossed on the coffee table in front of him. As they shut the door, Sonic looked up briefly and nodded. "Hey, bud." Then he did a double take at Cosmo and dropped his jaw. Tails smirked at the dumbfounded hedgehog. "Wha-What is-Cosmo? Here? Huh?" He rolled off the sofa, falling on his stomach.

"Yes, it's her," Tails said. Sonic looked back and forth between them. "You might want to sit down and I'll tell you all about."

Slowly, Sonic climbed back onto the sofa and Cosmo sat beside him. Tails pulled up another chair and shut off the television. Sonic leaned on the sofa's arm, listening intently as Tails explained the seed and how he had grown it. He left out the part about the badger's warnings and the curse. When he finished, Sonic licked his lips and mouthed, "Whoa. Right in the forest, too. You'd think I'd have known about that with all the running I do." He smiled at Cosmo. "But this is awesome! It's great to have you back!"

"It's nice to be back," Cosmo said. "I've missed all of you." She eyed Tails. "Uh, about the flower…"

"Oh, right!" Tails said.

"What about the flower?" Sonic asked.

"I'll let Cosmo explain. If you guys need me, I'll be in the workshop." He lingered a few moments longer and smiled at Cosmo. She returned it and he nearly lost himself in her gaze. Stumbling over his feet, he backed out of the living room and headed to his workshop attached to the rear of his house and past the kitchen.

Tails stopped short in the hallway outside of the living room when Sonic mentioned his name. "Man, you have no idea how much Tails cared for your seed. Me and Amy were worried he was obsessed, but it paid off." He shook his head. "He was really in a rough spot there for a while."

Cosmo scooted closer. "I hope I can help him. I think he's doing better."

"I think he is, too. And I know you can help him." He shook her by the shoulder. "It is great that you're here. Don't leave us again," he said, chuckling.

She joined in with her high, delicate laugh. "Oh, don't worry. I won't."

Tails traipsed to the workshop, practically skipping and staying aloft with his spinning namesakes on each bounce. He almost crashed into his workshop's door during a hop. He opened it and glided in, spinning around without a care. When he began to feel dizzy, he stopped and focused on the workshop. Shelves lined one wall and boxes took up every inch of space on each. The boxes brimmed with spare parts and half-finished inventions. Across from the shelves, in drawers and boxes, were enough tools to put a hardware store to shame. In front of Tails was his elongated workbench, cluttered with schematics and lit by a pathetic swinging lamp directly above it, the weakest light in the entire room.

Approaching his workbench, Tails grabbed a blank schematic paper and a pencil. "Let's see," he said, starting to draw. "Something strong that will work in a natural setting. Little to no power available." He chewed on his tongue as he continued sketching out his idea. "Most likely to repel small critters." Little by little, his design took shape into a non-lethal electric fence.

Soon, he was finished and gathered up the materials to build his design. As he was stringing together some mesh wire for the fence, Sonic opened the door and wandered in, heavily clomping over to him. "Hey," Tails said.

"Hey," he said. He leaned against the shelves. "It really is her."

"Yup," Tails said, setting down the mesh. He attached a string of wire along the top and attached it to a battery and voltmeter. Then he dropped a screw on it. The mesh fizzled and popped. "It is." He checked the voltmeter's reading and adjusted the wire to deliver a smaller shock.

Sonic shook his head, wobbling over to the fox and rubbing his chin. "I'm still reeling from it." He rested his elbows on the workbench. "Can only imagine how you were."

"About like you, but worse," Tails said. He looked at Sonic and was taken aback to see the same worry in Sonic's face from before Cosmo returned. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just hoping this'll help you. After all, you've been pretty, well, you know." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot.

"Sonic, I'm fine. Really." Tails turned to the door. "Especially now that she's back."

"Yeah, I figured as much," he said, smirking. "It's a relief, I tell you. So she's staying with you here?"

Tails nodded and added another length of mesh to the fence, stretching it between two poles. "I assume so. I don't mind her staying here."

"I bet you don't." Sonic laughed and clapped his shoulder. Tails flushed crimson and Sonic stood up, nearly tripping. "Like I said, still reeling." He yawned. "Should probably get some sleep, too. Trip was pretty long."

"Well, you can crash on my bed."

"No thanks. I'll give you two some time to yourselves." He winked and jerked his thumb at the door as Tails turned away, concentrating on the fence and not his burning face. "Besides, I've gotta tell everyone Cosmo's back." With that, he jogged out of the workshop.

A couple of hours later, Tails finished the fence. He rolled it up and packed it into a carrying case. He walked out to the living room, where Cosmo was sitting on the sofa, her eyelids were drooping. She yawned and stretched her arms. "Tired?" he asked.

"Yes," she mumbled.

"You've had a long day." He held up the case. "If you want, I could go set this up while you sleep."

"No, no. I'll be fine." Cosmo pushed off of the sofa and almost fell. Tails rushed over and caught her, helping her to steady. "Thanks," she said, leaning on him.

"Y-You're welcome." She stayed like that, resting on his shoulder as they headed back to the forest. It was almost sunset when they arrived at the flower, so Tails quickly set-up the fence. He dug the poles around the flower, unwrapping the fence little by little and stretching it in a wide circle. It enclosed the stem perfectly and gave it room to breathe. Then he flipped on the battery and the fence hummed to life.

"Does it work?" Cosmo asked.

Picking up a twig, Tails chucked it at the fence. It sparked and repelled the twig. "Like a charm," he said. "Should scare away any intruders with a little shock."

"Non-lethal?" Cosmo asked, walking around it and tilting her head.

"Of course." Her brows knitted together and he frowned. "Do you not like it?"

"Oh, no. I really appreciate it," she said, offering a brief smile. Then she returned to examining the fence. "I just wonder if it will be enough."

"Well, it has enough kick to keep any small critters away," Tails said slowly. "Better than barb wire or something."

"But what about any birds or flying creatures?" Tilting her head up, she stared at the flower's petals.

"Birds?" Tails checked the sky, as if he expected to see a flock of birds coming for them. "Why would anything like that come near it?"

"I was only wondering," Cosmo said, bending down and gathering a handful of dirt. She turned her hand, letting it tumble out over her fingers. "Anything that flies could attack it."

The confused fox knelt beside her. "I think you're worrying too much. Nothing's going to hurt the flower."

Shrugging, she sat back. "You're probably right. I guess I'm worrying because it's tied to my life, but you're right." There was a subtle sting in his heart. He plopped beside her. "It's nothing to be afraid of." Tails jolted as her hand rested on top of his. "I'd trust you with my life."

Rubbing his neck, Tails turned to the fence. "Uh, look, I could make some sort of air defense. Something to keep anything away, alright?"

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you, Tails. You don't know how much this means to me."

"O-Of course." He held her against him. "Anything for you."

The pair stayed there for a while, simply holding one another until the moon was high in the sky. Various creatures of the night, from crickets to owls, came out to engage in their nightly chorus of chirps and hoots. The mansion lost its decrepit appearance from the day, adapting itself as a dark lump of the forest.

Only a few creatures tried to approach the flower. Each time, the fence delivered a little shock that scared them away. After the third one, a curious squirrel, scurried off into a bush, Tails roused himself and Cosmo. "I think we should be heading back."

"Actually, I don't think I'll leave," Cosmo said.

His heart dropped and landed on top of his stomach. "What? Why?"

She looked up at him. "I'm feeling more energetic around the flower. I think it's helping me, reenergizing me. I'll stay here with it tonight."

"Then I'll stay, too," Tails said. He settled himself in the grass.

She cupped his cheek and smiled. "Thank you, but you should head home. No sense in you staying out here."

"I can keep you company."

"Tails, I appreciate it, but you need to go home and get some sleep. We'll see each other tomorrow. Don't worry. I'll be right here."

He didn't want to leave her side, not ever again. Yet he respected her wish and nodded. She planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Tails couldn't see straight, his vision rolling around with images of Cosmo and her giggling at his slack-jawed, love-struck response. The laughter intensified as he happily bumbled off, crashing into trees and bushes on his way out of the forest. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough for him.

* * *

"Sounds like the flower is her life source," Rouge said. Tails slowly nodded. "Does it do anything else for her?"

"I'm not sure," Tails said. "She did say it would make her feel stronger. At first, she had to stay there every night. But as time went on, she could stand to be away from it longer." He gazed out the window. The sun was fully up in the sky now and the group had retreated to the shadowy corners of the room.

Shadow, keeping his watch by the door, asked, "Then it's safe to assume if we destroy it, she'll have no power." He glanced over his shoulder. "In that case, we'll have to get to the flower. It should end this."

End this? End Cosmo? Tails didn't know if he could partake in that plan. Even after what happened, he couldn't give up Cosmo. Not his Cosmo. Not after he had worked so hard to bring her back, put in so much effort to regain what they had.

Yet everyone else had readily agreed to Shadow's idea. "What sort of defenses are we looking at here?" Rouge asked Tails.

"Non-lethal," he said. He held up his fingers, ticking them off. "Electric fence, stun lasers, tear gas repellant, concussion mines, alarm system, nets, sticky bombs that cover the intruder in a glue-like residue, mini-quake generators." Everyone gawked at him and he stopped his list. "Cosmo kept asking for more. She felt the flower was in danger."

"And you blindly agreed," Shadow added. Tails frowned at him. Before he could say anything in his defense, the hedgehog asked, "You're sure they're non-lethal?"

"Positive. No one else can adjust them except me and I made sure they're non-lethal."

Shrugging, Shadow mumbled to himself, but Tails believed he said, "You've been wrong in your assessments before."

As Tails opened his mouth, the growling outside rose in a crescendo for a moment and died back down. They scooted further away from the windows, terrified they had been heard. Shadow suggested they block the windows and stay low during the day. They did so, keeping out of sight of the Mobians down below. Off in the distance was that awful cry of the flying creatures. Rouge and Shadow volunteered for the first watch while Tails and Cream slept. It was slow going, with fitful tossing and turning, but Tails eventually managed to fall asleep, dreaming of Cosmo.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, Tails' friends came to his house to visit Cosmo. Amy was there in the evening the second day, soon after he retrieved Cosmo from the forest that morning. The pink hedgehog could scarcely believe her eyes and cried happily when she came in, embracing Cosmo and jumping for joy. Amy talked nonstop about how happy she was to see her again. For the whole day, Amy wore her down until Cosmo was mumbling answers that evening, the lack of energy overtaking her.

When Cosmo excused herself to head to the flower and left, Amy congratulated Tails, giving him a strong hug. "I really can't believe it. I thought Sonic was just being weird when he came by my house," she said, straightening her red dress. "He acted like he was so shocked he couldn't walk straight and had this goofy grin."

"I was the same," Tails said. "Actually, I don't think I could even walk."

"She did seem pretty out of it herself," Amy said.

"Oh, well that's because of the flower," Tails said. "The one she came from. She says it reenergizes her."

"That's odd." Amy looked at the door.

"It's probably only temporary," he said. "An aftereffect of what happened."

He was correct as after a week, Cosmo was able to stay overnight at his house. In the meantime, he worked on an air defense for her flower, which proved to be trickier than he initially thought. He settled on a series of stun lasers attached to the fence that would target anything flying too close. They would deliver a brief zap to the target, who would become disoriented for a few seconds.

Cosmo seemed pleased with it, but then asked Tails about the ground. "There are those who could pull it down by its roots. And the roots are very important." Tails didn't know if there were any underground creatures in the woods, but figured since he had already built this much, it couldn't hurt to add one more piece to the system. She did ask for a few more defenses for the surface and air, fearing that with her absence for longer periods, the flower was prone to more attacks. Although he thought it as overkill, Tails did build more for her sake and it comforted her.

Since Cosmo was able to stay with him more often, he took her out to the city to shop, see movies, or simply hang out. Each day was outstanding for him, as it seemed like she had never left. They grew closer and closer, talking for hours and always clasping their hands together, forming a bond that didn't break throughout their trips. The kisses they shared were to die for. Tails had heard that love waned over time in a relationship, but every time he kissed Cosmo, it was like the first one all over again.

Sometimes, Sonic, Amy, or Cream and Cheese would join them, but for the most part, it was Tails and Cosmo. He hardly noticed, as his mind was enraptured by Cosmo, always staring at her, always needing to be in her presence, blissfully unaware of what was happening around him. This led to many run-ins with strangers and lampposts that, while painful, made for a good laugh at the end of the day.

After another week passed and Cosmo was able to stay away from the flower for a few days at a time, they headed into town to pick up some supplies. Tails needed more parts for Cosmo's underground defense, as he had tried concussion mines, but those had not been deep enough. Amy joined them on their trip that day. Right away, Tails sensed something was wrong with her. Despite Sonic spending more time at her place these days, Amy wasn't as chipper as Tails expected. He pretended he didn't notice and kept an eye out for an opportunity to talk to her alone.

At one point, Cosmo left them to head into a greenhouse store. Tails pulled Amy aside to a snack bar, ordered a drink for himself, and sat down across from her at a table. Amy bit her lip in worry and looked at her twiddling thumbs.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he offered.

"No thanks," she said. He slurped his drink, waiting for her to bring up the problem. She smoothed out her hair and adjusted her crimson hairband. Then she tapped her boots on the asphalt and finally raised her head to Tails. "How have things been going?"

"Good," he said, setting down his drink. "And you?"

"Good, good. How are things with Cosmo?"

"Great." If there was any doubt in his mind before, now he was certain something was wrong. Amy loved to talk about relationships, but her questions to him were cautious and careful, as if she were planning everything out one word at a time.

"Anything special happen lately?"

He tilted his head. "Special?"

"Out of the ordinary?" she said, leaning closer and emphasizing her words.

Tails was growing frustrated with her cryptic questions. "Amy, come out with it and tell me. What are you getting at?"

"Has anything," she swiveled her head from side to side, as though searching for eavesdroppers, "strange been happening with Cosmo?"

"Strange how?"

Amy waved her hand in circles. "Like has she been acting different? Doing anything she never did before?"

Tails sat back and shrugged. The sun was shining brightly, forcing him to shield his eyes. "Other than worrying about the flower, not really. Why do you ask?"

She slumped in her seat. "I don't know. Sonic hasn't been himself lately."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember how I told you he acted weird after he saw Cosmo?" Tails nodded. "Haven't you noticed what he's been like since then?"

"He hasn't hung out at my place lately," he said. "I see him now and then, though I thought he was spending all his time at your house."

"He is. And don't get me wrong, I'd love it if it were my Sonic." She picked at the tip of her ear. "But he's not."

"You're not making any sense, Amy." He leaned on the table, resting his cheek on his fist.

"He doesn't act like Sonic. The way he moves is wrong, like he's always a little off-balance. Also, suddenly, for no reason, he wants to spend all this time with me."

"I think you're just in shock," Tails said, chuckling. "After all these years you've been chasing him, now you got what you wanted."

"This isn't funny, Tails!" she said, her voice raising an octave. She stood up and paced the parking lot in front of the snack stand. "Something is wrong. I can see it in his eyes. They don't look right. Not like they normally do. They're sad, depressed."

"You think something might've happened on his journey?" he asked, sitting forward.

"I don't know. I didn't see him until after he came from your house that day. Did you notice anything odd? Anything at all?"

Tails rubbed his chin. Amy's upset countenance pleaded to him to tell her that she wasn't crazy. Yet he didn't know if he should fabricate something to appease her. That would only make the situation worse. "He was a little tired after his trip that day and he did seem worried about me. You know, because you and him used to be concerned about the seed…" he trailed off. "Other than that, nothing I can think of."

"So it's only me losing my mind," she said, flopping back into her seat.

"I didn't say that," Tails said. He sat beside her and patted her back. "I haven't been paying attention to much really." He jerked his head at the greenhouse, where Cosmo was browsing the various plants for sale.

"Yeah, I figured," she said, giving a small grin. "You two look good together."

"Thanks."

"Maybe we can double date. Sonic did ask me out for Friday."

That floored Tails. "Really? Congratulations! See? He's probably being weird because this is new for him. You finally won him over and it's strange for both of you."

"Yeah, you might be right," she said. "Thanks." Amy pecked his cheek and they continued to chat until Cosmo came out carrying a pot of flowers. According to her, they were called mock orange, despite being snow white like her dress. "You know what we should do while we're here?" Amy said. "Find you some more dresses."

"Oh, no, I quite like this one," Cosmo said.

"It wouldn't hurt to have some spares. My treat." Tails was intrigued by the idea and Cosmo agreed to go along. They spent the rest of the day at department stores, letting her try on new clothes, but only buying a few modest dresses in the end.

Tails paid no more mind to Amy's suspicion until the middle of the week, when Knuckles came by with Sonic. In between creating protection for Cosmo's flower, Tails had been building a few amenities for Knuckles. "I only have the back-up generator and microwave so far," he said as he welcomed the echidna in.

"That's fine. No rush." He bowed his head toward Cosmo, who was tending to the mock oranges on the window sill.

Turning to Sonic, Tails thought he caught a hint of that sadness that Amy claimed was there. Slight downturned eyes that seemed to be forced into a cheerful façade. He waved it off. _It's my imagination. Amy's got me seeing things._

"Take a seat. I'll go grab the stuff from the workshop," Tails said. Knuckles did so and Sonic sat next to him, almost slipping off his feet and into the sofa. Again, Tails downplayed the action and headed to his workshop. He grabbed the generator from beside the finished mini-quake generators, but had managed to misplace the microwave. It was several minutes later before he found it buried in a box under a pile of junk.

He lifted it out of the box and wiped it off. "I hope that didn't damage it," he mumbled, checking every inch of the microwave. There were no scratches or dents on the white surface, so he assumed nothing was broken. Tucking the microwave under his arm, he wheeled the generator toward the living room.

Yet when he entered, he felt the microwave slip from his hands. Knuckles was standing in front of Cosmo as her hands were draped on his shoulders. She was on her tiptoes and though Tails didn't clearly see her, it appeared as if she were kissing the echidna full on the lips.

Tails felt his heart tear in two, the blood rushing from his chest as ice formed and crawled along his throat. His breathe became lodged in his neck and his head was light. Why? Why would Cosmo do this to him? Didn't she love him like he loved her? He had believed she did, but this— this threw his whole world into chaos. His mind was a blank, unable to put forth a coherent thought or any logical rationale.

Off to the side, Sonic's gaze shifted from Knuckles and Cosmo to Tails. And only then did Tails realize that his worry, that his sadness was incredibly pronounced.

**A/N:** Okay! We're really moving along now!

**Sword:** Pen! You ruined my romance!

**Pen:** Mwah-hah-hah! And I will ruin much more than that!

**Sword:** Not if I can help it!

Thank you for reading and please, let us know what you think of the story so far.

**Sword:** *bops Pen* En garde!


	3. Chapter 3: Always and Together

**A/N:** And now, back to some horror.

**Sword:** I'll be hiding and waiting for the end.

**Pen:** Good. We don't need your commentary on this.

**Sword:** *sticks tongue out*

As usual, Tails and all related Sonic characters and material belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please enjoy.

**Chapter 3- Always and Together**

Everything froze and resembled a painting, all of the characters in the living room permanently colored in their positions. In response, Tails dropped the microwave on his foot, but didn't bat an eye. Even when the sound broke apart Cosmo and Knuckles, he still stood stiff, uncomprehending, unable to make sense of what he had witnessed.

"Tails," Cosmo said. "Tails, what is it?"

His eyes stung fiercely and he finally blinked. Cosmo's curious face prompted him to mutter, "You two were," he swallowed hard, the word piercing his throat, "kissing?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh, no! I was helping Knuckles relax by massaging his shoulders with a technique I know. That's all."

Tails, through watery eyes that he kept trying to dry, turned to the echidna. He couldn't ask Knuckles if this was true, as the words lodged themselves into a clump with the sobs he refused to let loose. But he saw something in Knuckles' eyes. Shame? It certainly appeared that way, although the tears were running the echidna together like a bloodstain on his vision. Soon, all Tails saw was an angry red and he clenched his fists.

"Uh, maybe we should go. I forgot that I have something else I need to do," Knuckles said, shuffling slowly toward the door. Tails was split between watching Sonic and him leave and Cosmo standing by the window, hands held to her chest.

The door soon opened and closed. Not that Tails could see it. He couldn't see anything anymore. The world before him went out of focus in one part, then in another. Soon the living room spun and shifted, like tumbling head over heels in a forest composed of swirling browns all joining to a central green that moved closer. White hands clasped his shoulders and Cosmo's face came close to his.

"Tails." He shrugged her off and ran his hands across his head.

"You were _kissing_ Knuckles," he said, his disbelieving voice rising. "Kissing him." Repeating it failed to process the event.

"It may have looked like that from where you were standing, but I was trying to help him. He is very stressed day after day."

"I know what it was," he said, pacing the floor. His stomach flipped and his whole body didn't know what to do. Half wanted to sit down, take time to let what happened sink in, while the other half wanted to gesticulate and point fingers. "I thought we had something!"

"We do!"

"Then why were you kissing him? Don't lie!" he shouted as she opened her mouth.

She gasped and a dark expression more terrible than anything he had seen from Cosmo passed over her delicate features. Tails swallowed hard, but stayed firm. "You honestly think I would betray you? Go behind your back, in your own house even? While you're in the other room and with Sonic present?"

When spelled out like that, Tails did deem his denunciation a little farfetched. Cosmo wasn't finished. "You know, at first I thought you were scared. Scared you might lose me again to someone or something. I'm scared to lose you after all this time, too. That's what I assumed was on your mind right now. Until that. I thought you trusted me and you accuse me of lying? Why? Is it a guilty conscience?"

"Guilty?"

She nodded. "Don't think I didn't see Amy kiss you that day I bought the mock oranges! I thought it might be a friendly peck, but I'm starting to think there's more to it. Did you two start seeing each other after I was gone?"

He raised his palms defensively. "What? No!"

She pressed on, walking up to him. "Did you continue to see her after I came back? Wanted two girls for yourself?"

"No, Cosmo, that's not it at all!"

"Isn't it?" She jabbed a finger in his chest. "It would explain why you're so adamant I was kissing Knuckles!" She whisked away to the door in a few short strides.

"W-Where are you going?" he asked, taking a lame step before she held up a hand.

"Out. And I don't know when I'll be coming back." Cosmo left with an angry slam that rocked Tails to his core. He opened the door to follow, but when she turned down the sidewalk, one upset glare and trembling lip changed his mind.

Dragging himself over to his sofa, Tails plopped down and replayed the events in his scattered mind. She was dead wrong about Amy, but was she right about his fear? Of course, he always concerned himself for her. Did it go beyond that? Did he see shadows and danger where safety lied?

Tails wiped his face and dug his fingers into his scalp. _What have I done?_ he wondered. He wanted to believe she was telling the truth. Tails never wanted to lose her again.

Yet that kiss. He knew a kiss when he saw one. He had experienced enough kissing over the past several weeks and he was sure that's what it was. Why though? Was Cosmo unhappy with him? Or was he really losing his mind?

"Sounds like it could be either," Amy said when he visited her later that afternoon. He had hoped Cosmo might've come to stay with her, but no such luck. That left the flower, but he didn't know if he should return to her right now. Amy had been willing to lend an ear to his troubles.

However, her answer only made him feel like he was running in circles. He stared at her ceiling, all the white bumps poking out like Cosmo's fingers pointing at him. "It looked so much like a kiss."

"Have you two been getting along?" Amy asked, her arm around her own sofa's top. She rested her temple against her fist. "Any problems?"

Tails shook his head. "None that I'm aware of. Everything's been great." He flopped onto his cheek. "You think it's me?"

Amy offered a sympathetic half-smile and shrugged. "I don't know. Did Sonic or Knuckles say anything?"

"Not really," he said, picking at the sofa's cushions. "I mean, logically, she's right. She wouldn't do something like that in my house while I'm there. And she does love me. I think." He pulled up a little bit of fluff and rubbed it in his fingers. "But Knuckles looked so ashamed and didn't try to deny it. Sonic, too. He was pretty sad."

"Sad?" Amy perked up.

"Yeah. I don't know why. Maybe he was ashamed, too."

"Tell me, did Knuckles act strange at all before you left them in the living room?" she asked.

Tails tried to recall anything leading up to the kiss and finally said, "No. He seemed pretty normal."

"What about afterwards? Was he really ashamed or was he sad? Did he do anything out of the ordinary?"

"Uh, he left his microwave that I was going to give him. Said he had something else to do. Why?"

She scooted closer to him. "Something has been happening to people in this town." He tilted his head. She ducked down like she was sharing sensitive information with him, their noses inches away. "People are acting odd around here. People I know."

"How do you mean?"

"Small things in their behavior, in their routine. Sonic, for example. I already told you there's something going on with him. He just hasn't been the same since he came home from your place. And now Knuckles. What if it's something to do with Cosmo?"

"What are you saying?" Tails' temper started to rise.

Amy held up her hand. "Look, I've exhausted all other options. I'm trying to get to the bottom of all this. Take a moment and think about it. You left Sonic and Knuckles alone with her and they started acting weird."

"Knuckles didn't do anything, I told you," he said.

"Except kiss her." She had him there. "It's not only them. There's others, acquaintances or people I see around town. Like my neighbor next door who used to get home from work every day at five sharp. Now he strolls in at four in the morning, but manages to keep up with work. Or this woman I talk to at the supermarket. She was buying gardening supplies. But I know for a fact she hates the outdoors and gardening."

Tails raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's the best you have?"

"Those are just a couple of examples," she said, her resolve on this path undaunted. "And all these people have something off about them when I talk to them. I can't explain it. What if Cosmo has something to do with all this? It did start after her return."

"I won't have you blaming her," he said, his nostrils flaring and the kiss forgotten. "Whatever happened between you and Sonic isn't her fault! She's perfectly fine, the same as she's always been since she emerged from the flower. There's nothing wrong with Cosmo!"

She paused a moment, staring at him intently. "How did you grow her seed?"

He saw where she was heading and he didn't like it. Tails pursed his lips and walked to the kitchen. "I already told you guys. I planted it in some better soil." Yet his heart gripped in fear of the curse, a thought he hadn't entertained since the badger told him about it.

Amy caught on pretty quickly. "There's more to it than that, isn't there?" She followed him and crossed her arms, leaning on the countertop as he disappeared into the fridge. "That's not any old soil, is it?" she said louder as he rummaged through the shelves.

Grabbing a soda, Tails shut the door and cracked the drink open. Amy was watching him as he took a swig. "Some old guy in town told me it could grow any plant." He chugged his drink.

"And?" she prodded.

There was no denying her intuition. "And he claimed it was cursed. Crazy ramblings, that's all," he swiftly added as she turned around.

"Let me get this straight. Somebody tells you a place is cursed and your first thought is to plant an alien seed there?" She hammered her fist on the counter. "Do you have any idea what it might've done?"

He polished off his drink and tossed the can. "It didn't do anything because there is no curse. He was looking for an excuse for some incidents. Something to blame. It's superstitious nonsense, that's all."

She cocked her head. "'Incidents'? What kind of 'incidents'"?

Tails clamped his mouth shut and groaned. He needed to control his tongue better. "The kind where people got hurt." There was no need to add the worse cases, as Amy flew off the handle anyway.

"Are you insane?" she screamed.

"Desperate," he said. "Near the breaking point. I killed her and I was willing to give whatever I could, do whatever I was able to bring her back." She softened, as she and Sonic knew too well how miserable and depressed he had been in that time. "I latched onto any hope I could, no matter what it was. Praying for a little light in the darkness. Look what happened. The soil worked. It actually worked."

"At what cost? If the soil works, then the curse could be real, too," she said.

"Only the old man claimed that. Believe it or not, I did my research and no one else agreed with him."

She sighed heavily. "But Tails, what if it _is_ true? What if something unnatural is happening? You, me, our friends, our loved ones could all be in danger." She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Maybe her flower is affected and it afflicted her. Did you think of that?"

He hadn't and it planted a worry in his heart. But he stomped it underfoot before it grew. "There's one way to find out." He found a glass cup in one of her cupboards and pulled her along to the front door. "I'll get a sample of the soil and analyze it at my workshop. I'll show you there's no curse and nothing to fear. That it's all in your imagination."

"What if I'm right?"

When he didn't answer, she repeated the question. He simply gave her a hard look and glanced down at his feet, at a loss on that front. Amy caught on and they headed toward the forest, the sun sitting on the treetops for its late afternoon break.

At the mansion, there was no sign of Cosmo, or the flower for that matter. Instead, where the flower once stood, there now resided a pale green pod on a puffy foundation. Knuckles kept watch nearby, scouring the edges of the clearing. Tails almost walked out into the open, but Amy yanked him back and firmly shook her head. They crept around the outer fringe, sticking to the forest's cover.

As they passed Knuckles, Tails peered closer at him. Since last they met, Tails really noticed Knuckles' upset countenance and a depression hanging about his lips. The echidna was stiff and at perfect attention. He rarely blinked and moved only his head when he scanned the forest. Typical behavior when he was on guard at the Master Emerald's altar expecting an attack. But nothing provoked any such watchfulness from the forest, aside from the occasional bird call. When that happened, Knuckles whipped his head in the direction and waited as if preparing for an intruder. Tails shuddered at the eerie nature of the guardian's vigil.

They neared the soil where the pod lorded over them. Tails dug the cup into the dirt and scooped up a large amount. The pod responded by inflating its base. Tails held his breath until the base deflated once more.

Yet when he pulled his arm back into the vegetation, he met Knuckles' striking violet eyes staring straight at them. His gaze seemed to pierce through the dense foliage and the pod swelled at a faster pace. Tails froze in place, hoping that they were not spotted. A tickle circled his throat, urging him to clear it, but he held firm against the temptation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amy carefully retreating further into the forest. He followed her lead: lift one foot, inch backward, set it down gently from toe to heel, repeat with the other. With his arms tucked to his sides, Tails ducked and bent at odd angles to avoid disturbing any branches, all while holding Knuckles' unshakeable stare.

His ear brushed one limb and for a moment, Tails feared the worst as the leaves quivered. Was it visible? They were several yards away from where they had been before. Knuckles didn't move a muscle. After a few long, tense seconds holding their position, Tails and Amy resumed walking, taking larger strides. _The sooner we're out of here, the better._

In their haste, Amy slipped on a tree trunk, falling into a pile of leaves. If the dull _thump_ hadn't alerted Knuckles, Tails believed the crunching and crackling as Amy rolled away would. He finally tore his eyes from Knuckles and helped Amy to her feet. Several leaves clung to her dress, but she refused Tails when he tried to wipe them off. He understood. No more sound.

"Is he still there?" she mouthed.

Tails looked back at the house, but Knuckles was gone. He craned his neck, searching what little of the porch he saw. The sun had all but set, limiting their vision in the twilight. He turned to Amy, shaking his head. Her eyes panned to the right where the forest was thick. Thick enough to hide a person. Tails eyed the sky, then his namesakes, and caught her attention. Amy nodded with him, counting down. On three, he stuck the cup in his teeth, grabbed her hands, and took off into the air.

Suddenly, there was a violent rustling from the forest. Tails glanced down and thought he saw a flash of red. "Tails, focus!" Amy cried. He looked up in time to dodge a fat branch and nearly touched the ground. The leaves behind them were shaking themselves with restless fervor. He flew faster, lifting Amy higher. She curled her legs in and they soon passed the smaller treetops.

There was a loud series of _thunk! thunk! thunk!_ from behind them. It sounded like someone climbing a tree. "Tails!" She shrieked, but he maintained a tight hold on her.

_Have to hurry! _He didn't bother turning back. _C'mon! Faster! _He pushed himself for all he was worth until they soared high above the forest.

Only then did Tails risk a view of below. Amy appeared pretty shaken, her face pale and fearful much like he supposed his to be. In the forest, darting in the holes among the branches, he spotted brief flashes of crimson. But Tails and Amy were already nearing the edge of the forest. They didn't stop there and continued onto the town, only landing once they were safely at Tails' house. Nobody followed them and the neighborhood was quiet. Crickets chirped to the night and insects swarmed around the street lamps.

"Still don't think I'm right?" Amy asked when they walked in.

He held up the cup. "Let's get this analyzed first. Then I'll answer that."

In his workshop, Tails dumped the dirt into a beaker and set it inside a machine shaped like a small oven. He twisted a few knobs on the side and pressed a button on top. "This," he said as the machine powered up, "will tell us the components of the dirt over here." He pointed to a monitor attached to the machine's side that displayed PLEASE WAIT as the machine chugged along.

"What if there's something wrong with it?" Amy asked.

"We'll figure it out in that case," he said, swinging his arms.

"Tails," her tone was serious, "we may have to deal with Cosmo. You saw how strange Knuckles was acting. Why else would he be guarding a flower instead of the Master Emerald?"

"Just let this finish first, okay?" he said hotly. He punched his palm, trying and failing to not think about Amy's point. Cosmo was fine. _She's fine._ Nothing was wrong.

The machine winded down and started to list the properties of the dirt. Tails traced his finger over each item and percentage. "So far, so good." He smiled at Amy, but stopped as his finger ran across CHAOS ENERGY.

"Chaos energy?" Amy asked.

Tails touched the reading and the machine listed more detail about the chaos energy. "According to this, the readings are similar to the Chaos Emeralds, except…" His throat constricted.

"Except?" She leaned over his shoulder.

He swallowed hard. "Except that these are the readings for negative Chaos energy. The same kind Chaos absorbed from the emeralds when he became Perfect Chaos."

"And the entire garden is full of it?"

"Traces," he said. "That's the silver lining. Only traces of negative chaos energy are in the dirt. But it's enough that it could cause an effect."

"How can there be traces of it in the ground?" Amy asked. Tails retrieved a laptop from his workbench and opened it next to the machine. "What is it?"

"A family used to own the mansion there," he said, typing on it. He began to search for the information he had found before. "The father was an investor in several companies. I think he got the money to do so from- yep." He turned the screen toward Amy. There was a picture of a young couple and a child standing in front of the mansion when it was brand new and sparkling clean. Tails pointed to a specific paragraph in the article next to the photo. "He sold a gem he found on his property. That's how he amassed the money to begin his investment venture."

"And that gem must've been the Chaos Emerald," Amy finished. He nodded and shut the laptop. "So there _is_ something wrong with Cosmo." Amy patted his shoulder. "Tails-"

"I know, I know." He rubbed his chin, his eyes running over the information on the display once more. "We'll bring her here and I'll run some tests, okay? Find out what's going on. It'll be fine. I'll find a way to fix this." He didn't plan to lose her a second time. There was no reason why they couldn't cure Cosmo when they brought her in.

"Let's go find her," he said, straightening up and shutting off the display.

"No need," a gentle voice said from behind. "I'm right here." Standing in the doorway was Cosmo, flanked by Knuckles and Sonic on either side. There were a couple of other people from the city that fell in line behind her, wearing the same mask of sadness that the two beside Cosmo permanently wore.

"Tails, Amy, if you had a problem, you could've come to me," Cosmo said, stepping inside. "I'm always welcome to talk with you."

With a noise like a sword being unsheathed, Amy's large hammer appeared in her hands. She held it aloft, one of the sunny yellow flat ends prepared to smash Cosmo. "Tell us what you've done to our friends!" she demanded. "Why did you hurt them?"

Cosmo's eyes popped. "Hurt them? No, no, no. I didn't hurt them. You are all my friends. There is no reason to harm you."

"Then why?" Tails asked.

"I needed help," Cosmo said. "Who better than the heroes of Mobius to help me protect my flower?"

"And instead of asking, you forced them to."

"I did ask and you gave me your inventions. They are effective, but what if somebody strong should arise and try to destroy it? I needed twenty-four hour surveillance above all. That and I want to keep you all by my side and stay close to you, always and together. I never want to leave any of you again."

Amy dashed forward. "Then start by staying close to this!" She arched backwards and brought down her hammer.

"Amy, no!" Tails shouted. Instantly, vines rammed through the walls and wrapped around Tails and Amy's legs. They were hoisted into the air upside-down, struggling against their bonds.

Cosmo walked underneath them and shook her head. "Amy, you must understand. My flower is very important. It has to be protected at all costs, else I'll die. And none of us want that." The pink hedgehog growled and swung a fist at her. "So be it." She turned to the hole where the vine had broken through.

In the next instant, another vine burst into the room, clearing away the wall. Amy's vines were attached to a pod sitting outside. It slowly opened and trapped her in itself, closing as she screamed for Tails to help.

A delicate hand brushed his cheek. Tails shivered and looked up at Cosmo. "It's alright, Tails. I won't let anything happen to you." His vines slackened and set him on the floor. "We can be with one another like we always wanted." She smiled and helped him to his feet.

He rushed over to Amy's pod, but was knocked back by the vines. The ends chomped at him, their sharp teeth grazing his fur. Cosmo raised a hand to them. "Don't touch him!" The vines retracted to the base of the pod and Tails scrambled to his feet.

"Let her out!" he begged. There was no movement from the pod or any sound from Amy. "Please, let her out!"

"Tails, it has to be done." She held his hands, but he recoiled from her. "What's wrong? It's me."

"No," he said, searching for anything in his workshop to cut through the pod. "The Cosmo I know wouldn't do this." There was a lighter on his workbench and he was sure he had a can of aerosol. _I might hurt Amy if I burn it. _A handheld buzz saw rested on one of the shelves.

"What? Protect herself and make peace with her friends?" She circled him and Sonic blocked his path to the pod.

Tails tried Sonic. "Save Amy." The hedgehog didn't move. "Don't you care about her?"

"Of course he does. And he knows this is what's best," Cosmo whispered into Tails' ear. "Tails, I want you by my side just as you are. Don't you want me?"

He glared at her. "I want Cosmo." But as she kissed his knuckles and rubbed her thumbs into his hands, he faltered. Whether it was or not, the person or creature had all the mannerisms and behavior of Cosmo, sans the pods. She was a perfect copy, a replica that when he stared into her eyes, he felt conflicted. Over the weeks, those same eyes had sparked so much love in his heart and they did the same at that moment, holding him in place.

The glare continued to fall and Cosmo caught on. She held the sides of his head and touched their foreheads together. "I am Cosmo." Her lips parted and attached themselves to his tightly closed mouth. Her tongue slid across his lips, separating them until it wiggled inside. Despite his best efforts to fight it, Tails gave in to the pleasurable sensation of her kiss. It was complete bliss and he didn't want it to end.

Too soon for him, their kiss broke, but she pecked his jaw and intertwined her fingers with his. "Stay with me," she whispered. "We can be happy together."

To say the offer was sorely tempting would be an understatement. For Tails, the experience she offered was a dream come true. To experience love with her would be nothing short of fulfillment for his heart. She may be fake, but she seemed so real.

Yet his loyalty to his friend broke the surface and he held their hands between their faces. "Then please, let Amy and the others go. I'll stay with you, but please do this for me."

She frowned. "I can't do that, Tails. I already told you."

"I'm not letting you take them." He pushed her off and grabbed the buzz saw. Sonic dove for him as he powered up the tool. Tails dodged him and ran up to the pod, slicing through its seam. White strands flew through the air, covering his vision. Suddenly, he was jerked up into the air by his feet, barely managing to hold onto the buzz saw.

"I guess you never did love me if you reject my affections for her," Cosmo said, curling her upset fists.

"I love Cosmo! You're not her!" Even then, he was shaken by her angry expression, as if he had slighted the real Cosmo. Telling himself otherwise that he should feel nothing didn't help.

"I really didn't want to do this to you, Tails," she said. The vine that held his feet slowly started to pull him away. Another vine broke through the wall, creating a Tails-sized hole where another pod waited. The new vine hissed at him and wrapped around the handle of his buzz saw. He fought with it, his fingers slipping. As his pod opened, so did Amy's. She fell out of hers and collapsed onto the ground, discolored splotches clinging to and clashing with her dress.

"Amy!" he shouted as the buzz saw was yanked from his grasp.

* * *

Tails sat up in a freezing sweat, spinning around this way and that, the room as jumbled as his thoughts. As he took stock of his surroundings, his frantic panting slowed. _The hospital. I'm at the hospital._ He scratched his scalp and rubbed the sleep from his vision. There was something crusty and hard pressing to his mouth. In his palm was more of the dried orange goo. He shook it off his hand and dug through his fur, picking at any pieces he found and hoping that was the last he had seen of it.

His tired eyes spotted movement near the window. But he only saw Cream lying with her back toward him. The blinds of the window had been drawn closed and their sharp shadow blades chopped the room up. Except for a few of the blinds lazily spinning, nothing else moved an inch in the room. Tails rolled onto his knees and picked himself up, holding onto a desk for support.

There were hushed voices outside the door and it was then that Tails realized Shadow and Rouge were missing. He crept to the open door and peered out. The two were further down the hall in a heated argument.

"I don't care how young he is," Shadow hissed.

"Obviously," Rouge said, hand on her hip.

"Look, he understands that he screwed up. In case you haven't noticed, we don't have time to coddle him and walk him through this step by step."

"I know that, but you need to learn to be tactful about how you handle it." She jabbed a finger into his chest. "Since you're not a people person, let me deal with this. We know what to do now, don't we? So instead of chewing me out, you should be thanking me."

"If we hadn't listened to his story, we could've moved on sooner," Shadow countered.

"To where?"

"Somewhere safer. Somewhere with weapons or that's easily defended."

Tails hung his head and sighed. _He's right. _Determined to fix everything, he stepped out into the hall to offer some suggestions.

Suddenly, a large vine wrapped around his mouth, holding it open. Tails grabbed it, but another soon bound his body, holding his arms to his side. He bit into the first vine and it hissed. "Shadow! Rouge!" he called before he was dragged back into the room.

"Tails!" Rouge shouted.

Another bite to the vine and it abandoned his mouth for good and wrapped around his neck, choking him. He hopped, managing to flip onto his back. The vines were pulling him to the broken window behind the blinds. "Cream!" he yelled as he passed by her. She stirred and sat up, her jaw dropping.

At the window, Tails wiggled his legs far enough apart to place each foot on intact glass. The vines lifted him upright, but his feet continued to hold. His cheek pressed against the window and he could barely see the pod below, attached to the side of the building like an infected pustule.

The window began to crack around the hole the vines had broken through. Splinters snaked their way to his feet and head. His feet started to slip as the glass started to give way.

Rouge wrapped her arms under his shoulders. "Gotcha!"

To the side, Shadow took aim at the vines and shot them. They hissed and waggled, but one held firm. When he stomped on the stubborn one's bullet holes, it also released Tails. They hissed a threat at Shadow, yet retreated all the same, their wounds too great to do anything.

Tails collapsed into Rouge and rubbed his sore neck. "Thanks," he said, gulping down air.

Shadow glanced out the window. "Don't mention it," Rouge said.

Cream rushed to Tails and hugged him, telling him in between sobs, "I-I'm so glad you're alright!"

"We need to move," Shadow said, checking his gun. "They know we're here now."

"Where to?" Tails asked.

More of the window shattered and Shadow hurried them out of the room. In the hallway, a slavering mass of infected were climbing the stairwell and running toward them. The group dashed up the other stairwell on the opposite end. They threw crash carts, wheelchairs, and anything else in the path to slow the hoard down. Shadow grabbed a chair on the way and blocked off the stairwell's door. The infected rammed into the door, banging and beating on it, but the chair held firm for the time being.

Two floors higher and they arrived on the rooftop. The sun illuminated all the infected and pods below, all of whom focused on the four people atop the hospital. "Perfect," Shadow muttered.

A great _whoosh!_ sounded overhead and they dropped to the ground. Fierce gusts followed it and Tails raised his head. High in the sky and making a second pass was one of the flying beasts. It dove at them like an eagle, its leafy skin whipping in the wind, its gnarled, black bark talons opening to snatch its prey. The hollow spaces where its eyes should've been were fixed directly on Tails. The black beak emitted that awful screech.

Rouge pushed the fox out of the way and she and Shadow fired on it. The beast swerved and blew by them again. The bullets only served to tear off a few leaves.

"We have to get out of here!" Rouge yelled over the gunfire.

Tails ran to the roof's edge and peered over. There was no use trying the street. The infected crowded around the building. Across the street, he spotted an apartment, and further on a hardware store. _That might be what we need_, he mused.

He pointed out the apartment to Rouge and Shadow. "I have an idea. First, we have to get to the apartment."

"Fine, we'll go after that thing comes back," Rouge said, pointing her pistol at the beast.

They stood in the center as a loud _wham!_ resounded from the stairwell. "That would be our friends," Shadow noted. The beast dove low and they scrambled aside. Rouge and Shadow didn't bother firing. Tails and the girls grabbed onto Shadow and carried him over to the apartment building as the infected ran onto the roof.

However, they misjudged how far the beast flew out before angling around. It sped at them with an intense velocity, knocking several infected off the hospital. Tails spun his namesakes as fast as he could. Likewise, Rouge and Cream flapped hard. The talons were extended at them. Tails could almost feel the tips on his neck. The beast screeched in his ear and they dropped several feet to avoid their pursuer.

The strong wind following the beast threw them off-course and thrust them forward as they narrowly avoid the monster's clutches. One of the girls smacked into the building and cried out before the group smashed through an upper story window. They crashed into an apartment. All of them tumbled into furniture and walls before sprawling out, each groaning their own pain level. Outside, Tails heard the beast's mighty flaps intermingled with the infected's cries below.

**A/N:** Hope everyone is enjoying it so far!

**Sword:** *clenches seat and has a pale face*

You okay?

**Sword:** So…scared…

**Pen:** *sneaks up behind her* Boo.

**Sword:** *shrieks and bashes him over the head with a hammer*

Uh, while we calm her down, please tell us what you think of the story so far. Pen? *snaps fingers* Pen?


	4. Chapter 4: Flames of Passion

**A/N:** Let's get back into this.

**Sword:** No! I'm too scared! *builds a pillow fort and hides in it*

**Pen:** Stop acting like a child! As always, Tails and all related Sonic characters belong to Sega. The story, the sniveling baby in there, *points at the fort* and myself belong to the author. Now, time to knock over a fort.

I'd rather you not. Please enjoy the story folks.

**Chapter 4- Flames of Passion**

Tails pushed himself up on shaky arms. Shadow was lying on a loveseat, his head draping close to the floor. "A Chaos Emerald would really help about now," Tails said as the hedgehog rose.

In the corner, Rouge was tending to Cream, who massaged her shoulder. "It's just a bruise." She helped Cream stand.

The infected were moaning from downstairs. Shadow gathered the others together. "We need to keep going. Where to?" he asked Tails.

"This way." The kitsune flung open the apartment's door and ran down the hall. The others followed until they reached an open window looking over a series of smaller buildings. It was a short dash across the rooftops to the hardware store. Short enough that they could be inside before the infected knew what happened. The rest seemed to catch on.

"Good idea," Rouge said. "Should be something in there to use."

"Less talking, move running," Shadow said, pushing them forward. The infected were growing louder.

Tails hopped onto the windowsill first, crouched, and prepared to jump. Suddenly, the beast flew by at lightning speed. Tails gripped the edges of the window and held on. Thankfully, the beast appeared not to have seen him at all.

"What is that thing?" Shadow shouted, cursing its persistence.

Putting off the answer for now, Tails hopped out and eased his landing on the next roof using his tails. Cream came next, then Shadow and Rouge together. They took off to the hardware store, running around and jumping over ventilation units and roof access stairwells.

Once on the hardware store's roof, Shadow lifted up a trapdoor with a ladder descending into the building. Rouge took the lead, sliding down. Tails and Cream went after, climbing rung by rung. Shadow closed the door on his way in.

The store was completely deserted and appeared relatively untouched. The front window displays were broken, but guarded by a hexagonal, locked gate stretching across the entrance and windows like a pawn shop. There was no sign of the owner or any employees who may have escaped the infected. Everything was shrouded in darkness, but Tails liked that. It would be easier to hide.

Everyone scrambled for the darkest areas. Shadow slipped between shelves of drills, Rouge behind a display case in the middle of the store, and Tails and Cream behind the cash register's counter. Then, they waited.

And waited.

Soon, the slobbering was at their door. Tails' heart pounded into his throat, trying to induce him to vomit. He swallowed large mouthfuls of air, willing his body to stay calm. _They're only checking. They don't know for sure._ He repeated it faster when the infected smashed their fists through windows and rattled the gate.

There was an exit door in the back corner across from Tails' position. He hoped it was locked tight. Surprisingly, none tried to enter or even jiggle the doorknob.

After what felt like an eternity, the infected moved on, ransacking the neighboring building. The group stayed hidden, avoiding the few stragglers left behind. When those too were gone, all four huddled together in one of the aisles.

"That went well," Cream said.

"Yeah," Tails said. "Too well. They could've easily gotten in here."

"You think they know we're inside?" Rouge asked.

"I don't know. Maybe they figure we're here somewhere and are in a hurry to find us."

"We need to figure out a way to the garden," Shadow said. "But first, tell us about the flying creature. Where did he come from?"

"After Cosmo's pods, there were other sorts of plants that sprouted," Tails said, leaning onto one of the shelves. "One kind was that thing."

"There's more like it?"

He shook his head. "Not like that. That one's the only one of its kind. Or at least that I've seen. No, there's other plant creatures. Where they are, I don't know. But they're no less dangerous. All of them are controlled by Cosmo as well."

"Is there any way to take them down?" Rouge asked.

"Fire. That's about the only thing I've found that takes care of them. They recoil just seeing it."

"Okay, here's what we'll do. Cream, watch the back door." Shadow pointed her to the corner. "The rest of us will find anything we can to use. It's still morning, so it'll be a while before we can get to the flower."

"Pod," Tails corrected him. "It turned into a pod. Sorry. I forgot to mention it."

"Of course it's a pod," he said, rolling his eyes. "Anything else or are we completely up to speed?"

"Well, if you had a Chaos Emerald, we might have an easier time. Amy and I found out the soil wasn't cursed. It contains traces of negative Chaos energy."

"Which the flower absorbed," Rouge said as Tails nodded.

"Even if I had an emerald, absorbing the energy wouldn't automatically sap the tainted nature from it," Shadow said. "Remember Perfect Chaos? What happened after it was defeated?"

Tails recalled that battle. Chaos had reverted to its original form as the energy returned to the Chaos Emeralds. If the same applied to Cosmo, then that meant, "Cosmo would become a seed again."

"Exactly," he said. "But this isn't the time for hypotheticals. Tails, I want you looking for anything we could use to set up some defenses. If those things come back before nightfall, we have to be ready. Rouge and I will find some weapons and anything we could use when we leave. Got it?"

Tails mumbled a "Yeah," and broke from the group to search the store. As he picked up and set aside various tools, his mind drifted to Cosmo. She would effectively die either way they went about this. Really die. His upset stomach tossed around his insides. He couldn't kill her. Not again. He was sure doing so would break him for good.

_She's not Cosmo_, part of him feebly argued. But that didn't help. She was Cosmo in all but soul. And he wasn't even sure of the soul. That the negative energy had tainted her and she was the real deal could be possible.

There was still time to figure out another solution. He had the whole day ahead of him. So Tails quietly worked, passing by the morning as he brainstormed and set traps. At the front, he and Shadow stacked lumber to block the windows and doors. Above those, he arranged rows of paint cans and hammers to drop on intruders. He also had enough time to electrify the gate to provide nonlethal shocks.

They locked the access door on the roof, screwed it shut, and booby-trapped it with concussive grenades. Nobody expected the infected to climb on the roof, but they were all cautious and on high alert. The back door was less of a problem. No infected had tried entering according to Cream, so he shoved a shelf against it and managed to construct some of his mines to place along the floor.

Meanwhile, Shadow and Rouge scavenged enough parts to frankenstein a junky flamethrower. Tails smirked at the end firing piece: a metal pipe from a toilet's plumbing. Shadow frowned and tested it in the center of the store, away from anything that could catch fire. An orange jet shot out, curled into a cloud, and disappeared as he released the trigger.

"Let's get as much gas as we can," he said to Rouge.

By then, it was late afternoon. Tails worried a little that they had heard no more from the infected, but he mostly preoccupied himself with Cosmo. He leaned on the cash register and sighed, thumping his forehead on it.

_There has to be a way. Something I'm not seeing._ All he saw were the register's keys touching his nose. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist, forcing his mind to work in overdrive. An intense headache built in the back of his skull, but he pushed through.

"What's wrong?" Cream had left her post.

Tails tried to alleviate her concerned expression with a wave. "It's nothing." He didn't need to burden anyone else with this. They were all too high-strung as it was. But her sad eyes persisted until he finally admitted, "I'm just thinking."

She rubbed his shoulder. "About Cosmo?"

"Yeah," he said. "I don't know what to do. I want to find a way where everyone makes it out of this alive."

Cream wrapped her arms around him and squeezed gently. He returned the gesture, digging into her head and back, absorbing the strength given. "You will. You're smart and you care enough to." Despite her encouragement, when she broke off from him, she looked at him with a mix of sympathy and gloom, as if she knew his efforts were all for naught, a fancy to be entertained for hope's sake. She offered a poor, pained replica of a smile.

He said, "Thanks," anyway and she turned to limp away. "You okay?" he asked, pointing his head at her right foot as it touched the floor at odd angles.

"Yeah," she said. "Stubbed my toe while running. I'm alright. No worries." When she returned to her post, she kept the foot propped up on its heel.

Tails resumed racking his mind for an answer. He scratched his ears and curled a fist. In between his fingers, there was a crumbly piece of goo. Tails crushed it and wiped away the flecks. Then he furiously clawed through his fur from head to toe until he was positive no trace of the goo remained. The sudden rush exacerbated his headache until it pushed to the forefront of his brain. That worsened his mood and he punched the cash register, drawing an irritated glare from Shadow.

_There must be a way._ He massaged his temple and flopped his other arm over the register. _Something, somehow. There has to be. Has to be a way. Has to._

* * *

The vine pulled away his only means of defense. "Bring him down to me," Cosmo said. Tails' vine complied, lowering him. She opened her lips in a kind of kiss, but tiny particles swarmed out of her mouth. "This will be much easier for you," she said, reaching up for his head. He squeezed his eyes shut as her hands grabbed his cheeks. Tails held his breath, but already, tiny pinpricks flared up his nostrils and bits of what tasted like ash wormed through the corners of his lips.

There had to be a way out of this. Tails furiously spun his namesakes, pushing back from Cosmo suddenly. Then he propelled forward to the buzz saw. He snatched the handle and angled the saw to cut through the vine wielding it. White juices spilled everywhere as Cosmo shrieked. "Pull him in! Pull him in!"

As he bent to cut the other vine, he was whisked into the pod. There were muffled cries outside and faint light shining through the pod's skin. The buzz saw continued, its blades clamoring for more targets. Tails swung his arm around wildly, slicing here and there.

The pod's insides swelled, limiting his movement. Then thick strands started to wrap around his body, shooting out from all around him like silky spider webs. Tails closed his mouth as they drooped on his face. An overwhelming noxious stench permeated throughout. He jammed the saw into the pod's sides that held him. The pod shuddered and juices poured out, drenching Tails in them.

Next, Tails reached out into the near darkness and cut through the pod's skin. More juice, but clean air flowed inside. Cosmo was yelling. He jammed the saw further along the opening until it jammed, its teeth caught in the skin.

Tails reached through the hole. He felt his workbench, then the lighter on it. He pulled the lighter in, but his fingers slipped when trying to flick it on. "C'mon, light," he said. He ripped off his glove and flicked the lighter once more. A small flame jumped up and Tails held it aloft to the pod's innards. He burned different areas and the pod wobbled, tossing Tails about.

Leaning down, Tails burned the uneven floor. That set the pod off. It rocked back, throwing Tails around, then lurched forward and spat him on the ground. He landed on his hands and knees, coughing and hacking. His brain felt like it was splitting in two, the imminent tear pounding his forehead.

"Hold him!" Cosmo said.

Tails scrambled to his shelves and threw whatever he could get his hands on at Sonic and Knuckles. He soon came across an aerosol can. Flicking the lighter again, he shook up the can and sprayed it into the flame. Sonic and Knuckles retreated before the burst of fire. Carefully, he made his way over to Amy. She was kneeling on the floor, head down, and picking off the splotches.

"Amy!" He quickly burned her pod. "Amy! We have to leave!"

"Why?" she asked, looking up at him. She watched him, a pitying, sad twinkle in her grass green gaze. "Cosmo's completely right. I was jumping to conclusions." An unnerving smile slithered across her lips as she stood and summoned her hammer. "Put the lighter down, Tails."

_No._ He threatened her with the fire, aiming above her. _Not her, too._ His feet were ice cold and his knees shook nonstop as he backed away from everyone. The aerosol was fast running out.

"Tails, don't fight it," Sonic said. He jumped back from a burst of flame.

They were surrounding him in a semi-circle, trapping him against the wall. The pods were dead or dying, but Tails couldn't escape in the wreckage they made. He kept his former friends at bay with the fire, searching for some other way out.

As he looked up, he noted that the scorched wooden roof. Part of it had already caught fire in the corner. He sprayed a blazing arc into the roof and the side walls. The fueled flames crackled and burned the corner faster as the circle enclosed on him.

"Tails, please," Cosmo said softly. "Come to me and everything will be fine."

He shook his head defiantly and pressed his back to the wall. Stray particles slipped into her growing frown. "Never." He leapt into the air, zipping up to the decaying corner. Tails shielded his face and crashed through the burning wood, emerging into the night sky. Below, Sonic was jumping onto the roof and Knuckles was right behind him.

Tails flew far away, glancing over his shoulder now and again. His workshop became a blazing inferno and soon collapsed, crashing into a heap with his heavy heart. He vowed he would find a way to fix everything. For now, he turned toward the city, planning to regroup there.

* * *

Little had he realized the far-reaching effects of Cosmo. Others had been infected by the time he entered the city and the rest fell under her sway shortly afterwards. As Tails raised his head from the register, he saw no present path besides the one they were on. Even that wasn't without doubt. What if Cosmo had grown strong beyond her initial abilities? What if she wasn't tethered to the original pod anymore? Then what?

Night was fast approaching. The sun set in the distance, casting long, dark shadows across the store and city. Faintly, a few infected growled and knocked over trash cans.

"We'll need to move soon," Shadow whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Be ready."

Tails gathered his leftover traps. Rouge and Shadow took position on either side of the front doors, pressing their ears against the wood and listening for anyone. Cream joined Tails and helped him with his traps. She seemed upset and worried, fumbling his devices with trembling hands. Who could blame her? They were all skirting with the unknown, at the edge of a precarious pit and about to jump in headfirst. He offered her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "We'll be alright." For a brief moment, he believed it.

"Yeah," she said, bobbing her head, but her mood didn't lift. "Did you come up with a plan yet?"

Tails hated letting down her hopeful tone. "No," he said wearily. "I'm trying, but maybe this is the only way. I mean," he looked down, chewing his lip and drumming his fingers, "she's not Cosmo, right?"

Cream shrugged. "You tell me."

Unable to offer an answer, he grunted.

"I will say that it sounded like it could be both. But maybe it's the negative Chaos energy changing her." He agreed, as he had considered that. "I remember some things about her. And with what you told us, she behaved the same, talked the same, and was the same. She acted kind to us."

"Yeah."

"And she had all her memories. Including the ones of you. She still loved you most of all, even when you accused her about Knuckles. You know that, don't you? This Cosmo was honest and true with you."

Cream had good points. All the same points Tails had argued in her favor. His drumming quickened. "You're right. I just-I just don't know anymore."

She returned his pat and handed over the last of his traps. As he took it from her, a sudden question popped into his mind. "How did you know?" She looked at him curiously. "About Knuckles."

"You told us."

"No," he said, setting the trap on the counter and crossing his arms. "No, I never told you guys about that."

Cream moved to the back door. "I guess Amy told me then."

Tails followed her, watching her limping gait. "Amy never had time to talk to anyone after she found out. We immediately went to the garden, grabbed a sample, and were ambushed at my workshop where she was infected. For the last time, how did you know?"

Her back was toward him and an intense chill rushed down his spine, settling in his feet and freezing them to the floor. Tails peered at Rouge and Shadow from the corner of his vision. They were preoccupied with the front doors. His voice abandoned him and he reached behind him, blindly searching the counter for one of his concussive grenades.

"Someone special told me. Someone near and dear to your heart." Cream started to turn around, her face dimly lit before the last of the sun vanished. His hand panicked and swiped the counter frantically, but he didn't dare stop watching her for a second. "And though you've been trying to drive her away with your paranoia and hurtful words," she spun and crouched, her tongue swinging green saliva from its tip and erratic, swirling minty hues filling her dead eyes "she's willing to forgive and forget. All she wants is for you to come back to her, Tails."

**A/N:** Sword? Where are you?

**Pen:** I think she ran off to gather more pillows.

Oh, boy. Well, as for you people, we hope you're enjoying the story. Please let us know what you think as we really appreciate hearing from each and every one of you.


	5. Chapter 5: Happy Return

**A/N:** Sword? Anyone seen Sword?

**Pen:** What does it matter? We have a story to do. Of course, you could leave me in charge.

No.

**Pen:** Even though Sword might be far away and so scared?

…Fine. Before I leave, as usual, Tails, Cosmo, and all related characters belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Now, I'm off. Don't do anything to the audience.

**Pen:** Oh, I won't. I'll only terrorize them. And those of you who want to leave, too bad. There is no escape except to read on.

**Chapter 5- Happy Return**

Cream pounced on Tails, pinning him to the floor. She chomped at his head as he jerked side to side. He pushed her shoulders, but yelped when she bit his arm. Tails rolled over, bucking and kicking. She stayed on top of him, her drool splashing on his cheek.

Without warning, Shadow bashed Cream in the side with the butt of the flamethrower. She flew into the shelf blocking the back door. In an instant, she was on her feet and rushing them. She swung clumsily at Shadow, who grabbed her arm and threw her toward the front doors. Tails hopped up and lobbed a grenade at Cream. The blast knocked her off her feet and she stayed on the ground in a daze.

"What was that?" Rouge asked.

"Cream, she-she's infected," Tails said. "I didn't realize it. She acted so normal."

Rouge bent over Cream's body. "Take a look at this." They huddled around her. Underneath Cream's baby blue bow was a discolored stain clinging to her fur. Shadow peeled it off and rubbed it between his fingers, grinding it to a fine powder. "Had to have happened at the hospital," Rouge said.

Shadow wiped the pieces off his hand. "Or before we met up with her."

"It couldn't be," Tails said. "Cosmo isn't that skilled at controlling people."

"Either way, she managed to fool us," Rouge said, leaving the body alone.

Shadow lifted the flamethrower to his hip. "Because we've been paying attention to what's out there and never considering what could be in here with us." Tails found the end of the flamethrower pointed directly at him.

"What are you doing?" Tails asked, backing away.

"If Cream was infected at the hospital, who's to say you weren't as well?" he said, advancing on him. He didn't light the flamethrower, but kept his a ready finger on the trigger.

"Because you two got to me before I could be!"

"That could've been an act. A way to throw us off. Cosmo made Cream play the innocent girl until now. You might be in on it."

Tails snatched a few grenades off the counter and prepared to throw one, nervously thumbing the pin. "You two could be infected, too. Both of you were alone and could've been taken easily, then left Cream and me defenseless!"

"We're not infected," Shadow said, squeezing the trigger gently, but not enough to shoot. "Put down the grenade."

"Neither am I," Tails said, circling around behind the counter. "I'll put this down when you stop pointing that thing at me."

"This isn't up for debate," Shadow said. "I don't want to use this."

"Stop it, both of you," Rouge said, stepping between them. "This isn't helping and you're going to draw those things here."

"Tell him to drop his first," Tails argued. Surprisingly, Shadow dropped his flamethrower and dashed over to Tails. He wrenched the grenade out of his fist and bent the kitsune's arm at a painful angle behind his back. Tails lifted up to the ceiling, spinning his namesakes, and dragged Shadow along. They crashed into the back door, knocking over the shelf.

Tails rolled onto his back and jammed his knuckles into his temples. His headache was building again, now with a sensation like thousands of ants crawling underneath his skin. Small, barely noticeable pokes and pricks covered his skull and his eyes popped open for a window of clarity through the aches. _Oh, no._

"Are you okay?" Rouge asked, helping him up. "Did you hit your head?"

Shadow crawled off of the shelf. "Get away from him."

"He's not turning!" she said.

"Actually, I'm not sure now," Tails said, the pain receding to a steady throb. "I escaped while Cosmo tried to infect me. I thought I got away in time, but some of it may have gotten through." He hung his head, pressing the sore spots, trying to push the headache back into the corner of his brain. "It's been getting worse. I didn't think it was that."

"Then in a few minutes, you'll be like her?" Rouge asked, jerking a thumb at Cream.

"I'm sure I can hold it at bay until we reach the pod," Tails said, the headache now only a passing twinge.

"No way you're coming with us," Shadow said.

"Look, if I start to turn, then leave me behind and go on," Tails said. "But you'll need all the help you can get. We should stick together for now."

"We need you to have our backs, not stab us in them," he said, picking up his flamethrower and checking it. He stopped as a low moan echoed from outside. The back door's knob jiggled and many hands slapped the door at a dull pace.

Rouge pulled Shadow and Tails aside, hissing, "You and I can't take them all on. We need as much help as we can get."

"And if he turns, there goes this city's—this planet's last chance."

"He'll stay between us," Rouge said, more to Tails. "I'll watch him. But the more people we have fighting, the better our chance to make it to the pod." On the roof, there were dozens of plodding feet and in the front, glass shattered and the gate bars shook. Sharp moans, like wounded cries, resulted from each rattle of the gate until one long _creeeak _ended it. The bending and popping of metal meant one thing:they were ripping off the gate. "There's no time to debate. He's coming."

Shadow looked between them and then raised a threatening finger to Tails. "The first hint that I get that you've given into the infection, I will take you down and leave you behind. Clear?"

Tails nodded and they headed to the ladder. The access panel bounced, rapidly clapping shut repeatedly as someone tugged on it from above. "Okay, we'll escape from the roof," Shadow said as a fist punched through the lumber up front. "As soon as they break the lock and open it, get moving.

"And if that thing is still flying around outside?" Rouge asked.

He lifted the flamethrower onto his shoulder. "Then it's going down in a blaze of glory."

_Wham!_ The back door flung open and the infected poured in. One triggered a mine, setting off a chain reaction of deafening explosions. Several infected fell to their feet, blocking the door. Other infected bunched up behind them, climbing over the pile. Rouge kneed one in the stomach and threw it in the doorway, adding to the fallen.

A few had torn down the lumber at the front and were trying to squeeze through the broken window. Others tore at the rest of the lumber and the gate. They were no longer being electrocuted. As one tumbled in and rose to his feet, a paint can beaned him in the head, dropping him. More followed, each squeezing in only to be knocked out. Shadow shoved and punched those who came too close. Tails threw any tools he could find nearby.

Finally, the access panel's lock and screws broke. The flash and boom that followed disoriented some above, who fell through the hole. "Time to move," Shadow said. He pushed Tails to the ladder and butted an infected with his flamethrower.

Tails rushed up the ladder quick as could be. At the top, four infected were waiting for him: Knuckles and the Chaotix. Against them and the normal infected, he despaired, believing all chance of escape was lost.

He hopped out of the way as Knuckles swung at his head. Espio threw a handful of kunai at him, but Tails managed to avoid those, too. The chameleon's arc was unfocused and their attacks were off. _Cosmo's control._ He could use that to his advantage.

Charmy flew at Tails, mouth open wide. Tails ducked low onto his namesakes and used both feet to kick the bee in the back of his head. Charmy smacked face-first into an air vent and slumped off it, out for the count.

Rouge and Shadow burst onto the roof and shut the access panel. Immediately, she engaged with Knuckles and he with Espio. Tails was left with Vector. The large crocodile pulled back a fist. Tails ran to the side, slipping away from the punch. Vector opened his mouth wide and chomped at the kitsune's tails. Unable to fight him head-on, Tails led him on a chase around the roof, straying in and out of the other fights.

He tackled Rouge just as Knuckles threw a heavy hit. The fist connected with Vector, knocking him off his feet. Knuckles bared his teeth and went after Rouge again. Meanwhile, Vector, dazed, continued to chase Tails.

Nearby, Tails spotted some of Espio's kunai. He scooped them up and threw one at Vector, using the blunt side. He hit the crocodile's snout, but that only angered Vector. As Tails sprinted faster around the roof, he heard someone climbing up the ladder. "Shadow! Rouge!" he called, pointing at the panel.

Shadow grunted a reply and Rouge zipped past Knuckles. Tails surveyed the roof. There was nothing to block the panel. _Nothing except…_

He took a sharp turn, leading Vector toward the access panel. Tails stopped on it and threw another kunai at Vector, striking his knee. The crocodile stumbled and reached for Tails. At the last moment, Tails jumped out of the way and Vector crashed onto the panel, slamming his noggin into it. He moaned, squinting his eyes and sprawled out on his back. He tried to lift himself up, his arms wobbling. Tails shot a kunai at his arm. With one support gone, the other slipped and Vector's head banged onto the panel. Tails waited for any movement, but his pursuer was completely unconscious. Tails grabbed his arms struggled to drag the heavy body onto the panel, blocking it.

Shadow yanked Tails aside just as Espio appeared and kicked high at the air. In a puff of smoke, he vanished. Shadow growled, cursing the ninja's training and slung the flamethrower on his shoulder over his head. "I thought you said Cosmo didn't have a good handle on them," the hedgehog said, his eyes darting back and forth.

"She does to a degree. Guess she's improving."

Off near the edge of the roof, Rouge flew by Knuckles, smacking his cheek. He struck her leg. She crashed onto the roof, holding her left leg to her chest.

Espio appeared and tried to drive a kunai into Shadow's throat. He held the ninja's arms, twisting them. "Go help Rouge," he said through clenched teeth. Espio disappeared again. "I've got this."

Tails bum rushed Knuckles as he stood over Rouge. The echidna picked him up and held him over the roof's edge. "You should've come back to her, Tails. Would've made things much easier," he said. Down below, the inhabitants of the city lifted their arms, waiting to catch Tails.

Using her uninjured leg, Rouge stomped her heel into Knuckles' knee. It buckled with a _crack!_ and he roared in pain. He released Tails, who latched onto the ledge, and faced Rouge. He punched her in the gut and she gasped, choking and rolling on her side. As he raised his fist again, Tails propelled over the ledge. He rammed his shoulder into Knuckles' back. Together, they fell next to Rouge.

Tails lifted himself up and held down Knuckles' arms. "Rouge!" he yelled. Knuckles headbutted Tails and his grip weakened.

Rouge rolled over and wheezed. "Move!" she croaked. Tails backed off of Knuckles and she delivered a pointed kick to his chin. His jaw snapped closed and he slid along the roof, his limbs slumping.

Tails held his throbbing head. "You okay?" he asked Rouge, helping her up.

"I am now," she said. She rubbed her stomach and glanced at Knuckles' still body. "Maybe after this is over, I can grab the Master Emerald before he wakes up."

He shook his head. Before they could go help Shadow, Charmy buzzed toward them, laughing maniacally. In a flash, Rouge snatched him out of the air by his wings. The bee kicked and fought her grasp. "I never did like bugs." She smashed him into the roof. He went limp and she rolled him over with her toes. Again, Charmy was knocked out.

A kunai whizzed between them. Shadow and Epsio were going at it hard, blocking each other's attacks. "Any ideas to stop him?" Tails asked her.

"One," she said. "Shadow!" He shoved Espio away for a moment. She gestured for him to come to them. Tails didn't follow. "The flamethrower!" He held the flamethrower up and lighted the end.

"You wouldn't kill one of your friends," Espio said, panting.

"You're right," Shadow said, aiming at him. "But you're not my friend."

Epsio's eyes widened and he dodged the oncoming flames. Tails caught on as Shadow lured the ninja with the fire. Espio wasn't paying attention and only too late realized how close he was to Rouge. She jumped, spinning, and roundhouse kicked him square in the head. He sailed high and landed on Knuckles' back, who groaned painfully.

"Everyone okay?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah," Rouge said. "Bet Cosmo won't be so confident about using them now."

However, they stopped short of breathing a sigh of relief as a piercing screech echoed around them. They looked up and a large, flying shadow crossed the moon above. It tucked its wings in and dropped, speeding toward them like a missile.

"Get behind me!" Shadow said. His finger tapped the trigger, seemingly counting as the beast neared. With every second, it covered hundreds of feet. Too soon to comprehend, it was nearly above them, talons outstretched. Shadow raised the flamethrower and squeezed the trigger. Only a puff of fire billowed out. He tried again. It failed to start.

"Not now!" He shook it up and down.

"What is it?" Rouge yelled.

"It won't start!"

She threw up her hands. "Great! You broke it trying to crack some heads! Let me see it!"

"I can fix i-" The beast plucked him out of the group and the flamethrower fell.

"Shadow!" she shrieked, taking off and flying after him.

Tails picked up the flamethrower and examined it. Rouge was right. There was a dent on one of the pipes connected to the canister and a hose had come loose. He tightened the hose and squeezed the trigger. A larger burst than before shot out, but not enough to torch anything.

The beast swooped low and dropped Shadow for the crowd below. As his feet touched the clawing hands, Rouge caught him by the arm. Several infected slowed the pair, latching onto Shadow's shoe and dragging him down. He shook them off and they flew towards the roof, the beast in hot pursuit.

There was a groan behind Tails. Knuckles sat up, fixing his gaze on him, and hopped on his good leg. He opened his mouth, but winced at the slightest movement. A thin crimson spot congealed and dripped off his lip. He punched his fists together and hobbled hurriedly to Tails. His broken leg stuck out to the side and he hissed every time the heel touched the roof.

Tails had no time to be chased. He squeezed the trigger again, tipping the flamethrower this way and that. The gas inside sloshed around. If only he had time to fix the dent.

Rouge was close to the roof, but the beast was exponentially faster than her. It nipped at her wings as she crossed the ledge. "Tails!" she cried. She and Shadow were on a crash course with him. Knuckles closed in from behind.

_Work!_ _One shot! That's all I need! _He tilted the flamethrower down and a little more fire came out.

"Tails!"

As Knuckles threw a punch, Tails jumped into the air. He hung above the beast's head. He squeezed the trigger hard and a jet of fire exploded out with a massive _whoomph!_ It caught the beast in the neck and along the spine of its back. It screeched as leaves burned off it in droves.

Shadow and Rouge crashed to the side. Knuckles didn't have time to lower his fist before the beast barreled into him. He rode its head as it smashed through the roof's ledge and hit the ground below, a massive, flaming heap that squawked and cried as the fire consumed it.

Tails helped his friends to their feet and they peered over the roof. The beast's noises died down and its leafy skin curled and shriveled away, breaking apart and floating into the air as tiny embers. Knuckles lay nearby, looking up at the three, but not making any effort to get up.

Shadow caught Tails' eye and nodded, his typical frown lessened a little. Tails handed over the flamethrower and said, "Don't have to worry about flying anymore."

"I sure hope so," Rouge said.

"We can't stay up here long." Shadow indicated the access panel. Someone below was trying to throw Vector off and push it open.

"Should we try to lose them?" Tails asked.

"I don't think it matters at this point," Shadow said. "If we wait, Cosmo could grow another one of those, if she hasn't already." The smoldering wreck of the beast was half gone. "I'd like to avoid that."

"What about the flamethrower?"

Rouge lifted up the part with the dent. "It doesn't matter at this point. We don't have time to search for another piece and the hardware store is filled with those things. Either it'll work or we'll find some other way to destroy her pod." Shadow slipped the flamethrower over his shoulder.

As much as he didn't like the idea of going with a faulty weapon, Tails knew she was right. Supporting Shadow between them, they took off into the air, disappearing high into the night sky and out of view of the infected below. Then they turned in the direction of the forest.

A couple of times, Tails faltered in the flight. He was tired, dirty, and sore all over. All the adrenaline faded from his muscles and if he fell out of the sky at the point, he wouldn't care. Rouge smiled encouragingly at him, calling his name to keep him awake and focused. However, her flying was sluggish and her wings flapped at a gradual pace. Several tears ran through her suit, each accompanied by cuts and gashes. On every up-flap, she exposed a gash on the underside of her left wing that covered the entire length from end to end.

However bad off she was, Shadow had suffered worse. Beneath the moon, the blood in his fur glistened. Wounds ran from his head to his legs. One slice above his eye bled onto his eyelid, clotting into a rough mass. Tails tried to be gentle with the hedgehog's arm when he found a slash on it. Shadow showed no indication of pain. He kept his gaze straight ahead and on the forest.

They passed the forest's edge and Tails took the lead. All the trees below flowed together into one big ball of green. He wiped his eyes and searched, slapping himself to stay on task and alert for the mansion.

Something shot by his ear. Tails swatted at it, thinking it was a bug. Then others followed in a rapid fire. _Whish! Whish! Whish!_

Rouge yelped and grabbed her upper chest. A violet barb stuck out between her fingers, its delicate petals spread out like a dart's fins. "To the ground!" he yelled. He dodged another round of the barbs, but Rouge wasn't as lucky. One impaled her foot and one hit the arm she held her to her chest. Her grip on Shadow slackened and Tails was forced to hold his whole weight.

"Rouge!" Shadow shouted. She plummeted to the ground, disappearing amongst the trees. "Rouge! Agh!" Shadow doubled over, yanking on Tails. A barb jutted out of his stomach.

They had to land now. Tails dove, turning sideways and raising higher briefly to dodge the barbs. He burst through the treetops, smacking into branches. He gritted his teeth, fighting the pain of the impacts. One particularly large branch caught them in its bare, curled hand. But it broke at the wrist, dumping them onto the ground.

Shadow was the first on his feet, screaming for Rouge. Tails tried to shush him and stave off a building headache. "Keep it down! They'll hear us!"

"We need to find her."

"And we will. First things first." Tails lifted Shadow's arms and examined the barb. It was embedded deep.

"What attacked us?" Shadow asked.

Tails wrapped his fingers around the barb, breathing steadily. "I don't know. Some protection Cosmo set up." He glanced at the trees. "She's probably taken over the whole forest, making it one giant defense grid to keep her pod safe."

"Perfect." Shadow snarled as Tails ripped out the barb. He clapped his hands over the hole. "Poison?"

"I don't know," Tails said, holding the barb up to the faint moonlight. "Maybe. Might not be lethal."

"That's comforting." Shadow checked his wound. The rims were swollen and colored the same as the barb.

"Killing us wouldn't fit Cosmo. She's been trying to infect everyone so far," he said, tossing the barb into some bushes. "We should get something to cover it."

Shadow squeezed Tails' shoulder. "Forget that. We need to find Rouge." He picked up the flamethrower lying on the ground, checked it, and mumbled about a second dent. "It'll be a miracle if this still works."

They searched the nearby area for her, but only found a trail in the grass. "Looks like somebody was dragged away," Tails said, stooping over to peer closer. The throbbing in his head was constant and only increased with every passing minute. _Running out of time._ Through his blinking at the sharp spikes of pain, he spotted a petal, like those on the barbs, in the middle of the trail. "They must've taken her this way. We can probably catch-"

Shadow slapped his hand over Tails' mouth. His eyes pointed to the side, as did his flamethrower. Tails followed and stared at a group of flowers that resembled mock oranges, but possessed a shade of maroon and double the height of Shadow. Attached to their stems were smaller, tulip-like flowers, armed with barbs and ready to fire.

The flowers swayed through the tree trunks, watching or searching for them. Tails couldn't determine which. They had no visible senses to speak of, but the tulips quivered, as if picking up on the foreign presence.

Tails slowly straightened alongside Shadow. Together, they followed the trail, trying to stay completely silent. Yet as they put distance between themselves and the first group, another mock orange sprung out of the shadows, leering over them. They froze in place as its face waved by theirs, its petals within inches of brushing Tails' nose. It made a pass of the area and withdrew, allowing them to continue.

The trail twisted and turned, leading them to the mansion. In the final stretch, there was a straight path that ended at the garden. The pod was in sight, larger than Tails remembered. Shadow was eager to move, but stumbled, holding his stomach.

"Are you alright?" Tails asked, supporting his shoulder.

"Yeah," he said. His walking was stiff and his fingers curled.

"It must be a neurotoxin." Tails shifted the weight. "It could cause paralysis through the body. That would explain how Rouge was taken."

"Let's just hurry before it gets worse," Shadow said.

They began the last leg of their trek when Tails stopped, perking his ears up. There were several rustling branches on either side of them. Little by little, the branches moved aside and dozens of mock oranges peeked out, their tulip cannons primed.

A couple of the tulips aimed at them. The others watched the path, daring him to run their gauntlet. Tails checked behind him, wondering if they could fall back and find another way. But they were too far from cover and the tulips would shoot them before he could make it around the corner with Shadow.

"We have to try," Shadow said. "There's no other way."

"Yeah," Tails said, his nerves twitching throughout his body. "I know."

"Hey." He looked down at Shadow. "You can do this."

Nodding, Tails wound up his namesakes, letting them pick up speed. He took a few steps forward with Shadow, attempting to keep an eye on the barbs pointed at him. In mid-stride, he exploded forth like a shot past the mock oranges. Shadow helped, but Tails mostly carried him, hovering above the ground. Dozens of _thwips!_ barely missed him. The pod raced up to meet them. One barb soared right in front of Tails, mere inches from his eyes.

At the last few feet, Tails gave all his worth and they escaped the rows of mock oranges. Shadow fell to his knees, taking Tails with him. Grimacing, Shadow covered his wound. He shrugged off the flamethrower and foisted it on Tails. "Hurry up and burn that po-oagh!" He shoulders spasmed and he curled into a ball, burying his head into his knees.

"Don't worry, the pain will subside," someone said as she walked up to them. Their eyes trailed from her feet to her white, petal dress, and finally, her kind smile.

"Cosmo," Tails said, rising with the flamethrower. Out of the darkness, Sonic and Amy approached and flanked her.

"I can't tell you how happy I am you've returned to me, Tails."

**A/N:**

**Pen: ***laughs in a deep, booming voice* And that is all the torment you shall endure…For now. Leave your thoughts, if you wish. I will be back to torture you lot later! Soon, I will crush all the hope you have! All of it!


End file.
